9th May 2008 Archive

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Wanted: Americans to join Al Qaeda

Net is recruiting sergeant, senators warn

Al-Qaeda is getting better at using the Internet to tempt Americans into joining their cause. And that increases the threat of homegrown terrorism in the US, a Senate committee warned today. In a report, the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, urged the Government to return fire with a co-ordinated …

Government 9 May 00:18
When flash mobs go bad

Facebook water fight soaks up thousands of pounds of damage

An open invitation on Facebook to hold a massive water fight in Leeds has resulted in thousands of pounds worth of damage to its prize winning public garden. Leeds City Council claims about 350 people with water pistols, buckets and water balloons trashed the Millennium Square garden on Bank Holiday Monday. The destructive …

Music and Media 9 May 00:19
Should I buy a USB HSDPA modem?

Q&A

I'm thinking of buying a USB HSDPA modem because I travel to a fair few places that don't have Wi-Fi. But... since I have a 56Kbps modem in my laptop is a 3G modem really worthwhile? Yes, I know it should be much faster, but are they really? Reviews on Register Hardware suggest they're a long way off promised 7.2Mb/s speeds. …

Reg Hardware 9 May 06:02
Rock Group goes titsup

Updated Staff theft leads to cashflow problems

Rock Group PLC is in the hands of administrators who are trying to sell the UK notebook maker as a going concern. The Warwick-based firm said yesterday that it had effectively ceased trading prior to the appointment of administrators, Dominic Wong and David Langton, of Deloitte & Touche LLP. Rock Group, which has been in …

Channel Register 9 May 07:02
'Great tits cope well with warming'

BBC secures Headline of the Week

It's beers all round for the BBC this morning who've outregged El Reg leader writers with this deliciously suggestive offering: Of course, ornithology is a fertile area for schoolboy innuendo. Readers may recall the flap down at the RSPB's website where moderators clamped down on use of the word "cock" after sniggering …

Bootnotes 9 May 08:01
MWg specs up 2008 handset roadmap

Windows Mobile 7 device en-route

The Mobile and Wireless Group (MWg) has given Register Hardware a sneak peek at four upcoming handsets, including its first Windows Mobile 7 device, during the official launch of the firm's two latest handsets: the Atom V and Zinc II. MWg, formerly O2's Asian handset business, told us that during Q3 the GPS-enabled Rici will …

Reg Hardware 9 May 08:02
Microsoft orders 65nm Xbox 360 graphics chip

'Jasper' to break Red Ring of Death?

Claims the next incarnation of the Xbox 360's internal workings is due to begin being built into the console in August appear to be on track. Microsoft was this week said to have placed orders with chip and motherboard makers. According to a Taiwanese Economic News (TEN) report, MS has TSMC producing a 65nm version of the Xbox …

Reg Hardware 9 May 08:49
Texas graverobbers 'used skull to smoke dope'

Three cuffed over morbid tale

Houston Police Department is investigating a teenager's claim that he and two accomplices desecrated the grave of an 11-year-old boy, severed his skull, and subsequently used it as a bong to smoke marijuana, the Houston Chronicle reports. Kevin Wade Jones Jr, 17, of Kingwood, made the shock confession when being quizzed by …

Bootnotes 9 May 08:52
Sun Java chief to developers: 'We're genetic freaks'

JavaOne Time to change your definition of 'application'

Todd Fast, chief architect in Sun Microsystems' Java Enterprise tools group, took a big gulp of Web 2.0 Kool-Aid at JavaOne while telling professional developers they must embrace a broader definition of "application" if they are to take advantage of the current sea change in the way software is built and delivered. Fast told …

Developer 9 May 08:53
NZ bank robber stashes loot where the sun don't shine

'Bottom area' rustling gives game away

A NZ bank robber who stashed the NZ$2,000 proceeds of a heist up his tradesman's entrance was fingered by "rustling sounds" from his "bottom area", the Southland Times reports. Michael Geoffrey Linn, 36, unemployed, yesterday admitted in the Alexandra District Court to robbing the Cromwell branch of the Bank of New Zealand on …

Bootnotes 9 May 08:54
Barclays Capital slashes contractor rates by 10%

IT workers get credit crunched

Barclays Capital is forcing its IT contractors to choose between a 10 per cent pay cut or a quick exit from the company. The decision, presumably an alternative to cutting jobs as the bank negotiates the current financial crisis, has sparked outrage amongst contract staff, who have to signal their "acceptance" of the wage cut …

IT Director 9 May 08:55
Local mag claims Aussie Eee PC buyers will pay extra for Linux

'Generous' Microsoft charging less for Windows XP?

In a move that's going leave local Linux buffs alleging Asus has been handsomely rewarded by Microsoft, the computer maker is to charge less for the Windows version of the Eee PC 900 in Australia than the version using the open source OS. The Linux-loaded 900 already matches the Windows XP version on price in many countries by …

Reg Hardware 9 May 09:24
Phone-theft hotspots named and shamed

Cambridge boozers top of the list

If you’ve lost your mobile phone recently, have you tried trawling Cambridge's pubs? Because the city’s boozers are the most likely spot for handsets to ‘go missing’, according to new research. Security firm CPP has compiled a list of ten English cities where mobile phone theft is at its highest, and doubled the stats up with …

Reg Hardware 9 May 09:39
EDF circles British nuclear powerplant sites

Buys farmland to secure juice futures

French nuclear energy colossus EDF, which also operates various types of non-nuclear generation in the UK, has been buying up farmland close to existing British nuke plants. The purchases are seen as a move to strengthen EDF's position in negotiations to buy British Energy, the sites' owner. Today is the final deadline for …

Environment 9 May 10:12
Rowling ruling bolsters privacy chief's view of data protection

Auto-breach

The Court of Appeal's ruling in JK Rowling's privacy case confirms that a breach of other laws can result in an automatic breach of the Data Protection Act, an expert has said. That view has been held by the Information Commissioner but was previously untested in court. In a case brought on behalf of their son, David Murray, …

Law 9 May 10:16
Swiss ponder the 'dignity of plants'

Biotech guidelines tackle thorny issue

A Swiss government ethics committee has issued guidelines on the thorny issue of the "dignity of plants" in relation to biotech research after the country's 2004 Gene Technology Law declared that "the dignity of creatures" should be considered in any grant-funded research. According to Nature, while this phrase attracted …

Biology 9 May 10:19
MPs say shared service sums 'don't add up'

Cabinet Office's claim 'flimsy'

MPs say that the Cabinet Office's claim that government could save £1.4bn a year through sharing corporate services is a "flimsy estimate at best". A key problem is the lack of centrally agreed benchmarks against which to measure the performance of shared functions, including the impact of two of the established shared service …

Government 9 May 10:28
Irish data protection chief in leaked report 'hack'

Updated Man bites watchdog

There's red faces at the office of the Data Protection Commissioner this morning after a blogger lifted an upcoming official report off its website and published it early. As a result, data from the Data Protection Commissioner's Annual Report was published on a local blog on Wednesday a day before its official release on …

Government 9 May 10:28
Toshiba to ship laptops with Cell-based GPUs this year

And putting PS3 processor into TVs in 2009

Toshiba has pledged to begin selling notebooks equipped with its oddly named SpursEngine graphics chip this year. SpursEngine is based on the technology that powers the PlayStation 3's Cell processor. Outlining its post HD DVD growth strategy this week, Toshiba management said it will put its SpursEngine SE1000 chip into …

Reg Hardware 9 May 10:38
BOFH: Shiny new computer room

Episode 17 What's the catch?

"I think I have some good news..." the Boss chirps happily as he skips into Mission Control. "Good news?" the PFY says. "Very good news!" he gushes. "On a scale of one to ten?" "Ten - at least!" "Really," I say. "And what could possibly register as a ten?" "You're going to get a new computer room!" he blurts. "A new …

BOFH 9 May 11:02
Fujitsu develops world's first hi-def train simulator

Going loco - virtually

Writing down the number of the 10.47 to Chichester standing in the freezing cold is fine, but now you can pretend to be the actual train driver, thanks to Fujitsu, which has developed the world’s first HD virtual railway. Well, sort of. The system, developed by Fujitsu and simulation specialist Ongakukan, coaches future train …

Reg Hardware 9 May 11:07
Iubi Blue personal media player

Review Not a bad box of tricks

Anyone after a portable 30GB media player is quite possibly going to end up with either a Cowon A3 or the Archos 605, both of which we liked. Many might argue, however, that list should also include the Iubi Blue. The Blue and the A3 share some pretty similar dimensions - 131 x 79 x 22mm and 133 x 79 x 22mm, respectively - …

Reg Hardware 9 May 11:17
Compulsory lobby register moves closer

EU Parliament calls for Book of Fat Lunch

A compulsory register of lobby companies revealing which companies or organisations are paying their bills comes a step nearer today. The European Parliament adopted a resolution yesterday in favour of such a register, which would list groups seeking to influence either Parliament or the Commission. The Parliament proposes a …

Government 9 May 11:23
Office 2007 SP1 goes automatic for the people

'Huddled masses yearning to breathe free'

Microsoft will start automatically pumping out its first service packs for the Office 2007 suite next month. The software giant said in a statement late yesterday that it plans to stagger automatic updates and has earmarked 16 June* as the big day when distribution will begin. Office 2007 service pack one (SP1) was released …

Applications 9 May 11:33
Nvidia exec admits GPU line-up is numerically 'challenged'

Too many cards, too many choices

Nvidia has admitted that its vast array of graphics chips is bewildering consumers, who find increasingly difficult to work out what does what. The confession comes from erstwhile Register columnist Roy Taylor who admitted to website GamesIndustry.biz that "there is a need to simplify [the range] for consumers, there's no …

Reg Hardware 9 May 11:50
Vista security credentials tarnished in malware survey

Better off with a Win 2000 box

Windows Vista is better at protecting against malware than XP but more easily infected than Windows 2000, according to a study by Australian anti-virus firm PC Tools. The survey calls into question Microsoft's oft-cited claims that Vista is its most secure operating system. Recent research based on malware scans of more than …

Enterprise Security 9 May 12:14
MSI's 10in Eee PC rival priced up in UK

Let battle commence

How much will MSI's would-be Eee PC beater set you back? £320 for the Linux version or £350 for the Windows XP Home release, according to UK importer Expansys. MSI's Wind: blowing into the UK in June Both models incorporate a 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor, 1GB of memory, an 80GB hard drive, integrated Intel graphics courtesy …

Reg Hardware 9 May 12:17
US: BAE 'could have' pirated our secret Stealth 3.0 tech sauce

Arms globocorp enters grey zone?

Global arms and aerospace colossus BAE Systems this week released a high-profile audit into its internal ethics and served it up with a big slice of humble pie as it promised to be a better corporate citizen in future. But even as BAE sought to draw a veil over previous alleged indiscretions, it emerged that US officials have …

Government 9 May 13:06
Windows XP SP3 sends PCs into endless reboot

That Groundhog Day feeling, again

Microsoft's service pack three (SP3) for Windows XP has caused havoc on hundreds of PCs, just hours after it was released as an automatic update. Angry customers have vented their spleen on the firm's Windows XP message board, posting complaints that include spontaneous PC reboots and system crashes after the service pack …

Operating Systems 9 May 13:12
NGO attacks Apple's lack of action on climate change

Mac maker's green credentials rotting?

Apple’s MacBook Air may have received the thumbs-up from Greenpeace, but the iPhone maker should be avoided by the "climate-conscious consumer", a new eco survey claims. According to non-profit organisation Climate Counts, Apple scored a measly 11 points out of a possible 100 in its latest annual rating of computer companies' …

Reg Hardware 9 May 13:35
Retailers risk libel nightmare over 'no-work' database

A nation of suspicious shopkeepers

Shop staff who have been sacked or resigned while under suspicion of dodgy behaviour could soon struggle to find work, as some of the UK's top retailers are set to share information online about their employment history. But today a leading libel lawyer warned that the scheme to disseminate unproven allegations could prompt a …

Law 9 May 13:43
DWP still sending out passwords and discs together

Government data not secure? Shurely some mistake?

The Department for Work and Pensions is still sending out discs containing confidential data together with passwords. This most basic of security failings is no better than Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs sending out the entire UK child benefit database on unecrypted discs. The moronic action was uncovered by the blog Dizzy …

Government 9 May 13:47
Boffins dismiss claim violent games turn kids into killers

1200 kids can't be wrong

Violent videogames don’t turn children into real-life murders, but they may prompt the odd harmless scuffle in the playground, two US boffins have claimed. Lawrence Kutner and Cheryl Olson, directors of the Harvard Medical School Center for Mental Health and Media, recieved $1.5m (£770,000/€970,000) of US Department of Justice …

Reg Hardware 9 May 13:56
WiMAX gets EU harmonisation at 2.6GHz

Intel buys up Swedish airwaves

The European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) has started the approvals process for WiMAX to be officially recognised as a 2.6GHz technology, though Intel's bid for Swedish airwaves provides more substantial evidence of deployment plans. WiMAX - a technology which cleverly calls itself 4G despite only offering 3G …

Wireless 9 May 14:25
FBI probe discovers counterfeit kit in US military networks

Operation Cisco Raider gets arrests

An FBI probe has uncovered the use of counterfeit networking kit by the US military, but subsequent investigations suggest a counterfeit ring more interested in money making - rather than espionage - was behind the scam. Operation Cisco Raider led to the prosecution of 15 criminal cases involving the use of knock-off …

Government 9 May 15:28
Regulator gets power to fine for data breaches

Who will be first to pony up?

The Information Commissioner's Office now has the power to fine organisations which deliberately or recklessly commit serious breaches of the Data Protection Act. The Criminal Justice and Immigration Act got Royal Assent today. Sadly the law is not retroactive, so the long list of government departments which have lost or …

Government 9 May 15:30
Live Mesh: Hailstorm take 2?

Give it a fair crack

Keep an open mind, says Spolsky, in a rant about both unwanted mega-architectures, and the way big companies snaffle up all the best coders. Is he right? Well, I attended the Hailstorm PDC in 2001 and I still have the book that we were given: .NET My Services specification. There are definitely parallels, not least in the …

Channel Register 9 May 15:30
Dell promises replacement keyboards for wonky laptops

Sorry for shaifting your PC

Dell has apologised to customers after shipping a batch of its Vostro laptops with the wrong keyboard layout. The firm said it will replace keyboards on its 1310 and 1510 models that went out to customers in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The embarrassing cock-up forced the Z key, which should sit beneath the A and S …

Channel Register 9 May 15:33
Dell squeezes cloud into a shipping container

Exclusive Also: Meet an 8 chip, 2U, 12 drive search darling

Sun Microsystems endured a lot of ribbing when it first popped out a data center in a shipping container. Now, however, it looks like all the majors are heading in that direction, including Dell, which The Register has learned has a containerized data center in development. "We have (a container system) in the works for a …

Servers 9 May 19:22
Microsoft appeals record European Commission fine

Once more unto the bench

Microsoft is appealing a record European Commission fine for not complying with a milestone European Commission anti-trust ruling. Four months after the Commission ordered Microsoft to pay $1.39bn (899m euro) for not meeting the terms of its original 2004 ruling, Microsoft said Friday it's going to court to seek "clarity". …

Channel Register 9 May 19:30
Apple to issue refunds for sparky, prematurely dying products

Canadian iPods and US power adapters get what's coming

Apple has agreed to give US and Canadian customers two separate settlement offers to make charges of faulty and misrepresented products go away. Canadian owners of older iPods can get a CDN $45 (credit) rebate over claims the battery life in its devices were much shorter than advertised. Americans who purchased replacement …

Reg Hardware 9 May 21:48
Part II: How a pair of American spies created the Soviet Silicon Valley

Radio Reg Affairs, social security checks and the mini-fab

Based on the rather insane number of messages I've received over the last couple of weeks, you guys really, really wanted part two of our interview with Steve Usdin, author of Engineering Communism. Well, here it is. Episode 16 of Semi-Coherent Computing picks up where we last left off with the tale of two Americans who became …

Semi-Coherent 9 May 22:07
Circuit City runs up the white flag

Of course you can look at our books, Mr. Corporate Raider, sir

Circuit City's days as an independent are numbered. The ailing US electronics retailer last month received an unsolicited bid from Blockbuster, the ailing video store operator. It was less than whelmed by the approach. But the company capitulated today when presented with Blockbuster's secret weapon: a letter from corporate …

Channel Register 9 May 22:48
Gordon Brown claims a Brit invented the iPod

Grosse Pointe, Surrey?

Bad news for Tony Fadell, a Michiganite and inventor of the iPod. In an interview yesterday, Gordon Brown claimed the ubiquitous device in the name of Mother England. While talking about the economy during daytime television show, This Morning, Brown let it drop that it was a Briton who in fact invented the iPod. "Companies …

Bootnotes 9 May 23:37