The Week in Summary

1. Wednesday, 08 October 2008

   Sepaton's tape library de-duplication guarantee

   Will it be duplicated?

   Guarantees are getting popular. De-duplicating virtual tape library supplier Sepaton is offering a simple 40:1 de-duplication efficiency guarantee with few restrictions compared to NetApp's 50 per cent savings guarantee. Here's the full guarantee description: Sepaton guarantees that the FastStart Plus De-duplication Package …

   The Register 8 Oct 00:16

   Google takes aim at drunken messaging

   Can Mountain View end Beer Goggles?

   The forward-thinking folks at Google have implemented a novel solution to prevent regretful drunken digital correspondence to friends, family, co-workers, and loved ones. Gmail engineer Jon Perlow is introducing Mail Googles, a new feature that will tease the bean before ill-conceived late night and weekend emails can be sent …

   The Register 8 Oct 00:13

   SpringSource responds to support criticism

   Exclusive Java acquisition coming

   SpringSource is updating its controversial maintenance policy three weeks after encountering a barrage of criticism. The steward of the popular open-source Spring Framework has revealed that it plans a stripped-down version of the maintenance policy for small businesses. The company will also tag code in its Spring repository …

   The Register 8 Oct 00:00

2. Tuesday, 07 October 2008

   IT contractor caught stealing Shell Oil employee info

   Database for 'majority' of US workers breached

   Shell Oil has warned its employees to be on the lookout for identity theft after an on-site IT contractor was caught stealing worker information out of a company database. In a security notice posted Friday, Shell said the contractor had already used social security numbers belonging to four employees to file fraudulent …

   The Register 7 Oct 23:42

   Linux distros lead jumps from Sun

   Incomplete strategy

   Sun Microsystems has lost a key individual responsible for getting its aspiring open-source software included in leading Linux distributions. Barton George has quit Sun after 13 years, hard on the heels of having helped secure the inclusion of an open-source friendly version of Sun's Java Development Kit (JDK) - OpenJDK - with …

   The Register 7 Oct 23:38

   IBM doubles Power cores

   Keeping up with the Dunningtons

   Well, the rumor going around that IBM is doubling up the processor core counts on its Power Systems servers turns out to be true. Today, IBM announced that it has doubled up the cores in the Power 570 to a maximum of 32, and it's now offering a 16-core box called the Power 560 that slides in underneath it in the product line. …

   The Register 7 Oct 22:14

   US Army gets eco-conscious, preps mega solar plant

   Get in da choppah, Mother Nature!!

   You know the "go green" push is reaching a zenith when the fuel-slurping US Army wants to get serious about having a daintier environmental footprint. The Army said it's enlisting several big new energy projects to promote less energy waste in local and overseas bases. Among its ambitions are rolling out a fleet of electric …

   The Register 7 Oct 21:34

   US brain trust: Beware of trawling-for-terrorist apps

   Are your rights intruded?

   Surveillance programs that try to identify terrorists by trawling the internet and electronic databases for tell-tale signs are of limited success and should be carefully evaluated for privacy concerns, a group of technologists and policy makers that advises the US government said. A 352-page report issued Tuesday by the …

   The Register 7 Oct 21:21

   Apathy comes easy to OpenAjax Alliance

   Struggles on AJAX interop project

   The OpenAjax Alliance is once again finding it tough to enlist support for its projects, despite representing some of the biggest players - with the most resources - in software biz and on online. The 2008 Open Ajax Alliance InteropFest a project set up in June to promote compatibility demonstrations for AJAX tools, libraries …

   The Register 7 Oct 19:16

   CA buys IDFocus for identity management boost

   In brief More reliance on compliance

   Enterprise software omnicorp CA has acquired Palo Alto, CA-based IDFocus to blend the firm's identity management software with its own CA Identity Manager. The purchase is intended to bolster CA Identity Manager's regulatory compliance. Users set up segregation of duties (SoD) policies on IDFocus software, which then runs a …

   The Register 7 Oct 18:11

   Net game turns PC into undercover surveillance zombie

   Smile, your webcam has been clickjacked

   Underscoring the severity of a new class of vulnerability known as clickjacking, a blogger has created a proof-of-concept game that uses a PC's video cam and microphone to secretly spy on the player. The demo, which is available here, appears to be a simple game that tests how quickly a user can click on a series of moving …

   The Register 7 Oct 17:37

   'Overplayed' privacy concerns rile Symantec boss

   Interview 'IP addresses are so not private'

   Consumers ought to accept that loss of privacy is the price they pay for using internet service, according to Symantec chief exec John Thompson. Echoing Scott McNealy's opinion that "you have no privacy, get over it," the Symantec boss expressed surprise that information such as IP addresses is regarded as sensitive. "Some …

   The Register 7 Oct 17:25

   EverGrid reinvents self as Windows-loving Librato

   More than supercomputing

   EverGrid has changed its name to Librato, expanding the scope of its products to include Windows servers as well as Linux and to the broader workload management job. The company was founded in August 2005 to create a set of tools to manage workloads on parallel supercomputers and the grids of machines that sometimes attach to …

   The Register 7 Oct 17:18

   Spectrum Bridge solves the white space problem

   Parcel it up and sell it cheap

   Last month saw the launch of SpecEx, allowing companies to sell on spectrum licences - but SpecEx backers Spectrum Bridge want to see us all competing for a few MHz in the brave new world of secondary markets. America's FCC is firmly committed to a liberalisation of spectrum ownership, including sub-letting and reselling of …

   The Register 7 Oct 16:09

   World's first auto carbon calculator

   Feel guilty for every journey you make

   Calculating your daily environmental impact isn’t easy. So, a former student’s designed what he claims is the world’s first automated carbon calculator. Carbon Diem works with GPS-enabled phones Carbon Diem only works with GPS-enabled phones because it requires the location technology to feed information about the user’s …

   Reg Hardware 7 Oct 15:37

   EU battery rule may zap iPhone, blow away MacBook Air

   Replace this

   The EU is readying a new set of directives that could spell trouble for Apple's iPhone and any other gadget that lacks an easily removable power pack. A new, draft batteries directive mandates that power cells inside electronic devices must be "readily removable" for replacement and safe disposal. This isn't the case with the …

   The Register 7 Oct 15:27

   Lithium-ion battery beater to debut in 'major' laptop release

   ZPower's silver-zinc tech finally coming to market?

   Left-field battery developer ZPower has signed up a "major notebook computer" manufacturer, which will release a laptop fitted with its silver-zinc power packs next year. Unsurprisingly, perhaps, ZPower isn't saying who it is. Still, it's a coup for ZPower, which has been trying to persuade the world for a few years now that …

   Reg Hardware 7 Oct 15:17

   Yahoo! engineer arrested in Indian terror swoop

   Authorities arrest 15, including three 'terror techies'

   A group of 15 alleged Islamist terrorists arrested in India yesterday included a trio of techies - one a principal engineer at Yahoo! Indian police alleged that the 15 were linked to recent bombing attacks in Ahmedabad and Surat, The Hindu reports. The paper described most of the men as criminals linked to a Pakistan-based …

   The Register 7 Oct 14:52

   Fish snapped snacking at 4,200 fathoms

   'Absolutely amazing footage' from the hadal depths

   An international team of marine scientists has obtained "absolutely amazing footage" of fish feeding at a hadal 7,700 metres down in the Pacific Ocean's Japan Trench. The group of snail fish, (Limparidae), were caught on camera (see pic) "attacking bait at 7703 metres" by a submersible platform launched from Japanese research …

   The Register 7 Oct 14:30

   AMD shares jump at birth of The Foundry Company

   Now AMD stands for Abu Dhabi

   AMD shares rose more than 18 per cent on Wall Street this morning, following confirmation from the struggling chip maker that it will spin off its manufacturing operations and build a wafer fab in conjunction with its money-spinning bedfellow, the Advanced Technology Investment Company (ATIC). As we reported earlier, ATIC will …

   The Register 7 Oct 14:28

   Hi-tech keys make for safer Fords

   'Won't somebody please think of the children'

   Ford has developed a smart key that, it claims, will help remind teenage tearaways to buckle up behind the wheel and stop them from speeding. MyKey is a key that can be programmed by parents to control what their offspring can do in the family car. For example, the key could be set to limit the car’s top speed to 80, to …

   Reg Hardware 7 Oct 14:21

   Dell's disk-to-disk backup box

   Turn it on and go

   Dell is introducing a DL2000 disk-to-disk (D2D) backup appliance that comes with integrated Symantec or CommVault backup software and is meant as an alternative to tape backup, which is relegated to offsite backup. Backup to disk both writes data faster than writing to tape and recovers it faster, as a sequential access tape …

   The Register 7 Oct 13:47

   Get snapping for Freedom

   Taking on the Surveillance Society is no picnic

   If you have a camera, are ever so slightly worried about the burgeoning surveillance society in the UK, and are prepared to brave the hostility of police and passers-by, then you too could take part in "Freedom Not Fear Day" this weekend. FNF Day will be celebrated primarily across Europe, in a wave of actions ranging from …

   The Register 7 Oct 13:44

   How Wikipedia Works

   Geeks Guide₂ 40% off at Reg Books

   It’s all new at The Register right now, and today Reg Books is launching its brand new feature - Geeks Guide2. Every issue we’ll place a book in the spotlight and provide you with a wealth of information that also includes full sample chapters. Best of all, the current GG2 featured title will be available at the Reg Books …

   The Register 7 Oct 13:40

   Xbox gamers treated to Tomb Raider treat

   Tomb Raider: Underworld cometh

   You don’t have to be a gamer to recognise her svelte curves and thigh-strapped weaponry. But the tomb raiding temptress, Lara Croft, is to make a comeback in two new chapters, exclusive to the Xbox 360. Xbox 360 users will get two exclusive Tomb Raider: Underworld downloads Eidos, the publisher of Tomb Raider: Underworld, …

   Reg Hardware 7 Oct 13:38

   Renault looks to wee-hued windows to cut car power draw

   'Leccy Tech Leverages Insulated bodywork and psychology too

   Say 'bonjour' to Renault's electric city car concept, the imaginately monikered ZE - for 'Zero Emission', if you have to ask - which it expects to put into full-scale production three years down the 'pike. The ZE is a Renault Kangoo Be Bop, itself derived from a compact concept car Renault unveiled last year. Strip out the Be …

   Reg Hardware 7 Oct 12:54

   Indian Moon mission is go for 22 October

   Hi-tech survey gig for Chandrayaan-1

   India is all set to launch its first unmanned Moon mission on 22 October - the Chandrayaan-1 probe, which will over two years survey our satellite's surface with a rack of hi-res kit. According to the BBC, the launch had been planned for April, but was knocked back due to "technical problems". The $83m mission involves input …

   The Register 7 Oct 12:53

   Net-stock fraudster Moller offers flying saucer on eBay

   No bargepole long enough

   Famous flying-car inventor Paul Moller, who was fined in 2003 by the US authorities for selling "fraudulent unregistered stock" on the internet, is now selling his personal flying saucer prototype on eBay. Our advice: buyer beware. According to Moller, the online auction is an opportunity to acquire "a piece of aviation …

   The Register 7 Oct 12:41

   UK.gov and UK.biz pour £60m into IT skills gap

   Your timing is impeccable

   The government today announced that it will spend £30m to create a National Skills Academy for IT, in an attempt to train more of the workers employers are demanding. The Academy will be run by e-Skills, an technology industry lobby that will match public spening on the Academy. e-Skills pushes the line that training should be …

   The Register 7 Oct 12:38

   UK stockings bereft of Nokia Tube

   Next year? Bah

   Nokia's first push into touch-control, the 5800 XpressMusic, won't be available in major markets until next year, including both the USA and UK. The handset, which is being described as Nokia's reply to the iPhone, will be launched in India, Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Russia and Spain in 2008. …

   The Register 7 Oct 12:22

   Fraud victims urged to use DPA to rebuild credit ratings

   You've got me all wrong

   UK victims of identity fraud are being urged to use the Data Protection Act as a tool to restore their credit rating. E-Victims.Org, a former internet support group for those affected by cybercrime, said that even after victims are able to establish fraud and absolve themselves of liability to fraudulent debt they are still …

   The Register 7 Oct 12:20

   German methanol unit wins Pentagon portable-power prize

   Fuel-cell/battery combos sweep the rankings

   The US defence department has announced the winner of its "Wearable Power Prize", a contest to develop a portable powerpack which could lessen the crippling load of batteries carried by modern soldiers. The $1m purse has been taken by US firm DuPont, partnered with Germany's SFC (Smart Fuel Cell). The prize, inaugurated last …

   The Register 7 Oct 11:45

   NetApp faces Sun lawsuit loss

   Patents weakened - more could fall

   Sun is crowing that a judicial ruling in the NetApp_Sun IP lawsuit has effectively invalidated another NetApp patent. The US Patent Office also appears to be rejecting NetApp's key patents in the law suit. NetApp's position looks like it's crumbling. The dispute began with NetApp claiming that Sun's free distribution of its …

   The Register 7 Oct 11:42

   Asus claims quad-core gaming laptop 'world first'

   17in monster

   Asus has introduced what it claims is the world's first gaming notebook with a quad-core processor, beating the likes of Alienware and VoodooPC to the punch. The G71 will incorporate Intel's four-core Core 2 Extreme QX9300, the same chip used in Dell's new Precision M6000 notebook, though that's aimed at serious usage rather …

   Reg Hardware 7 Oct 11:34

   Oxbridge lectures now on iTunes

   Grey matter shuffle

   The universities of Oxford and Cambridge are to make lectures by well-known academics available through Apple's iTunes. Oxford will publish 150 hours of free video and audio podcasts of lectures and ideas from what it described as "world-leading thinkers". Academic types can now get their hands on education downloads that …

   The Register 7 Oct 11:22

   Sharp shows first 'zero-emission' telly

   Solar power to the people

   If your electricity bills are getting you down, then perhaps it’s time you started living off grid? And, thanks to Sharp, you’ll still be able to watch TV while cuddling up to Mother Nature. Sharp's 52in solar powered LCD TV Photo courtesy AVing The electronics giant has shown off what it claims to be “Earth’s first off- …

   Reg Hardware 7 Oct 11:03

   Wireless-data LED lamps to replace lightbulbs - US profs

   'The era of hyperconnectivity is upon us'

   The US government is funding research into using next-generation LED lighting as data network access points. Room or street lamps would link with devices using visible light, carrying data beyond over existing power lines. "This is a unique opportunity to create a transcendent technology that not only enables energy-efficient …

   The Register 7 Oct 11:02

   LG HFB-500 solar-powered Bluetooth car kit

   Review Here comes the sun... at last

   If your job involves making a lot of phone calls in cars, or you just like to be available when you're on the move, a Bluetooth headset or an easy-fit car kit is the best option. The main problems with these, however, are that the battery tends to run down at crucial moments, and you need to plug it into your cigarette lighter …

   Reg Hardware 7 Oct 11:02

   Cold War comfort on software engineering’s birthday

   Yesterday's issues at 40

   Forty years ago today, at the height of the Cold War, around 50 computing experts gathered in the southern German market town of Garmisch to change history. With the Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact glowering at the west, the participants - drawn both from academia and industry - met under the auspices of the North Atlantic Treaty …

   The Register 7 Oct 11:02

   No mile-high pr0n for Delta passengers

   Seatbelt signs off, smut filters on...

   The skies are looking bleaker for those who like to enliven dull plane trips with a bit of internet porn - Delta Airlines has announced it intends to filter "inappropriate" websites on its planned airborne Wi-Fi service. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Delta had said it "planned to rely on flight attendants to …

   The Register 7 Oct 10:46

   Lords to attack UK.gov failings on internet security

   Fraud reporting recommendations ignored

   Members of the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee will this Friday call on ministers to do more to battle security threats online. The House will debate the government's response to the well-regarded personal internet security recommendations produced by the Committee last year. Lords and security experts have …

   The Register 7 Oct 10:27

   Nintendo to limit DSi games with DVD-style region locks

   Bid to stop halt 'underage gamers', apparently

   The upcoming DSi handheld games console will be region locked, Nintendo has confirmed. Despite software on the previous DS console being region-free, Nintendo told website Eurogamer that it decided to tie the DSi’s software to specific geographical regions because the console “embeds net communication functionality within …

   Reg Hardware 7 Oct 10:25

   Analyst: Nvidia will quit chipset biz in 2009

   Rumours restoked

   Nvidia is again facing a claim that it's going to get out of the chipset business, this time from US investment house Pacific Crest Securities. PCS analyst this week told investors that "our checks confirm that Nvidia has decided to exit the chipset market next year", despite the fact that the product line will account for …

   Reg Hardware 7 Oct 10:16

   Spy chiefs plot £12bn IT spree for comms überdatabase

   Black boxes to keep Black's firm in the black

   Billions of pounds of public money will soon be up for grabs for private IT contractors ready to serve the Interception Modernisation Programme - UK spy chiefs' plan to store details of every call, email, text and web browsing session. And The Register has learned that one plugged-in firm is better poised than most to profit …

   The Register 7 Oct 10:15

   NASA's IBEX to sniff interstellar boundary

   Looking beyond the termination shock

   NASA's Interstellar Boundary Explorer, aka IBEX, will on 19 October lift off from Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands on a mission to probe the interstellar boundary beyond our heliosphere's termination shock1 - a region where "the hot solar wind slams into the cold expanse of space", as NASA nicely puts it. From an …

   The Register 7 Oct 10:07

   Mosley asks Europe to change UK privacy laws

   'I should have been told first!'

   Motor racing chief Max Mosley has applied to the European Court of Human Rights in an attempt to reform the UK's privacy laws. He wants editors to be forced to tell people when they are about to publish stories about them. Mosley won the highest-ever UK privacy payout when the News of the World was ordered to pay £60,000 in …

   The Register 7 Oct 10:05

   iPhone squares up to Android

   Have at you with your Google Street View

   Apple is aiming to get off the back foot when it comes to phone features with the forthcoming release of iPhone firmware - hopefully before the Googlephone gets into circulation. Google, along with T-Mobile, made great play of the ability of the G1 - the first handset based on Google's Android platform - to display Street View …

   The Register 7 Oct 10:02

   Xyratex speeds up arrays and doubles protection

   End-to-end 8gig SANS coming?

   Disk array sub-system supplier Xyratex has introduced its fastest-ever array by adding an 8Gbit/s Fibre Channel (FC) product along with new RAID 6 capabilities. Xyratex supplies hard disk drives in drive array enclosures to storage array product suppliers such as Compellent, Data Domain, Dell (EqualLogic) and IBM (XIV). Its …

   The Register 7 Oct 10:01

   Videos cast light on BlackBerry Storm

   Launch date still unknown

   The BlackBerry Storm handset is as good as confirmed now, following the airing of a Storm advert on US TV and the leak online of a promotional Storm video. Can't see the video? Download Flash Player from Adobe.com The TV advert is quite basic and blurred, but it appears to show the Storm being picked up off of a table. Just …

   Reg Hardware 7 Oct 09:54

   New NASA nuclear Mars rover hits budget, time problems

   Laser rock-crushing droid tank attack for '11?

   NASA's plans for a huge, nuclear powered laser-toting robot tank to succeed the present rovers on the surface of Mars have hit budget problems, according to reports. The Mars Science Laboratory mission is currently planned by the space agency to lift off late next year and reach the Red Planet in the autumn of 2010, there to …

   The Register 7 Oct 09:32

   Reading privacy policies takes 10 minutes on average

   Too long to read: Researchers

   Website privacy policies take on average 10 minutes to read and sometimes run into thousands of words, researchers have found. While some are short, others would take over half an hour to read. Researchers Aleecia McDonald and Lorrie Faith Cranor of Carnegie Mellon University looked at online privacy policies and how long it …

   The Register 7 Oct 09:28

   SAP shares tumble after sales warning

   Loose lips sink ships

   SAP saw its shares fall 16 per cent on Nasdaq yesterday, in a market which fell five per cent, after it warned it had seen sales fall off a cliff in the last two weeks of September. The company said it was likely to increase revenues by 13 to 14 per cent in the third quarter of 2008 - software and software-related revenues …

   The Register 7 Oct 09:12

   AMD spins off manufacturing biz

   Fabless future for x86 number two

   AMD is splitting into two companies - one to design chips and one to carry out the debt-dependent business of actually making them. Two Abu Dhabi investment firms will hand over at least $6bn to the two new firms and to build a new chip fab near Albany, New York and to refurbish one in Germany. The chip-making business will …

   The Register 7 Oct 08:20

   iPhone secure enough for Japanese enterprise

   Makes you wonder what they know

   While the iPhone might be not secure enough for American and European enterprises, BrearingPoint has decided to equip 1,000 of its Japanese employees with Apple's uberphone. Softbank Mobile is providing the handsets to BearingPoint, a technical consultancy that currently issues its consultants in Japan with both a phone and a …

   The Register 7 Oct 06:02

   Win a Palm Treo Pro smartphone

   Competition One £399 handset could be yours

   To celebrate the launch of its latest Windows Mobile smartphone, Palm wants to give one of the gadgets away to one lucky Register Hardware reader. Palm has commandeered London's Truman Brewery in Brick Lane for the whole of next week as a showcase for the new handset. With food from Michelin starred chef Brett Graham, the …

   Reg Hardware 7 Oct 06:02

   Visa finds a home inside a Nokia

   Handset vendor or bank?

   Visa and Nokia have signed a deal to embed Visa functionality in the NFC-touting Nokia 6212 Classic, enabling US owners to upload their Visa accounts onto the handset as well as transferring money between handsets over the wireless network. Visa and Nokia have worked together before, on NFC deployments and trials, but the 6212 …

   The Register 7 Oct 06:02

   Lehman Brothers' India ops saved from economic meltdown

   As 300 Accenture jobs die in the UK

   A Japanese financial services outfit has agreed to purchase Lehman Brothers' India-based operational support businesses, rescuing roughly 3,000 people - including 1,200 IT professionals - from the worldwide economic meltdown. The Tokyo-headquartered Nomura Holdings will acquire Lehman Brothers Services India Private Limited, …

   The Register 7 Oct 04:57

3. Monday, 06 October 2008

   Amazon patents 'customer review incentives'

   Bezos unreformed

   The self-described patent reform advocates at Amazon.com don't seem to have broken their habit of putting legal hooks on just about anything they dream up. Last Tuesday, Amazon was awarded a patent for "creating an incentive to author useful item reviews." The patent describes a method of "rewarding the authors of reviews …

   The Register 6 Oct 22:54

   Jesus Phone vuln delivers fanboys to phishermen

   Apple silent on 'pretty dumb design flaw'

   A security expert is advising iPhone users to steer clear of the device's default email application until engineers rework what he calls "a pretty dumb design flaw" that could expose users' email addresses to spammers and other online frauds. The warning comes two and months after researcher Aviv Raff first reported two email- …

   The Register 6 Oct 22:36

   Microsoft plans science of appliance for next SQL Server

   2010 or bust

   Start your clocks and count the delays: Microsoft has named the first half of 2010 as the window for the next version of SQL Server - codenamed Kilimanjaro. Microsoft has also said it's working on an server appliance with hardware giants Bull, Dell, EMC, Hewlett-Packard, and Unisys that'll use a subset of technology in …

   The Register 6 Oct 21:47

   Big Blue shares cloudy thinking with developers+dog

   Get your apps in the sky on the net

   If there was an index for how many times a vendor hops onto a new buzzword and tried to slap it on every product in their catalog, then it is probably safe to say that IBM would be the most actively traded stock on the Cloud Computing Exchange. Today, as part of its ongoing effort to explain what cloud computing is and why we …

   The Register 6 Oct 21:30

   MS to link Zune software to Windows Mobile

   But a Windows phone still isn't on the cards

   Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has already stated that it isn’t going to build a mobile phone. But that hasn’t stopped him from talking up the integration of Zune software into a range of additional gadgets. In an interview with CIO magazine, Ballmer said: “Zune software will also be ported to and be more important not just with …

   Reg Hardware 6 Oct 19:33

   Judge traps RealDVD in legal limbo

   Hollywood gets its wish

   RealNetworks has been forced to shut down sales of its DVD copying software, RealDVD, while a California judge decides if it violates US copyright laws. The company clearly knew there would be trouble from Hollywood studios at the outset. On the day of RealDVD's release, Real preemptively filed a lawsuit against the Motion …

   The Register 6 Oct 19:11

   Windows Update to trumpet Vista Capable debacle?

   Class-action call up

   Little did Microsoft executives realize when they blessed the seemingly brilliant wheeze of "Windows Vista Capable" as a way of flogging the operating system that the idea could turn into a bitter pill their company might have to swallow. But there's the very real possibility Microsoft's very own Windows Update and MSN could …

   The Register 6 Oct 18:58

   Boffins (finally) publish hack for world's most popular smartcard

   Mifare weakness official

   Two research papers published Monday have finally made it official: The world's most widely deployed radio frequency identification (RFID) smartcard - used to control access to transportation systems, military installations, and other restricted areas - can be cracked in a matter of minutes using inexpensive tools. One paper …

   The Register 6 Oct 18:44

   STEC spills prelim Q3 numbers

   SSD outfit solid as a rock - for now

   EMC's favoured solid-state drive (SSD) supplier STEC has announced excellent preliminary results for its third 2008 quarter. STEC said that it now "expects to report third-quarter 2008 revenue and diluted non-GAAP earnings per share to be at the high end of its previous guidance range of $61m to $63m and $0.10 to $0.11, …

   The Register 6 Oct 17:26

   Verari noses HP, IBM with third gen blades

   It's cooler on the botttom

   While Hewlett-Packard and IBM have the lion's share of commercial blade server sales in the world, there are a number of other players hanging on in the space, trying to stay ahead of the crushing marketing force of Big Gray and Big Blue with technology innovation and playing to niches. One of the niche players, San Diego-based …

   The Register 6 Oct 17:00

   Mio parks satnav dock with Skoda

   "Active cradle" overcomes suction cup woes

   Satnav manufacturer Mio has teamed up with Skoda to get its navigation devices into the car firm’s motors. Mio's active cradle satnav Under the terms of the deal, anyone buying a new Fabia, Fabia Combi or Roomster Skoda will soon be able ask that a Mio satnav be installed. The satnav’s been developed especially for Skoda …

   Reg Hardware 6 Oct 16:19

   Bull lands 200 teraflop German super deal

   Taps Sun and ParTec

   French server maker and reseller Bull has just become prime contractor for a 200-teraflops cluster called Juropa being installed at Forschungszentrum Jülich. This is a government-sponsored research center located in the German city of Jülich, where some of the most powerful HPC iron in the world warms feet. The cluster at the …

   The Register 6 Oct 16:08

   NetApp signals recession kick-off

   Uh oh

   Batten down the financial hatches - NetApp has put hiring plans on hold, and is seeing customers putting off spending. CEO Dan Warmenhoven says it's spreading like a nuclear chain reaction from the automotive and financial sectors. It's hardly a shock, though - how could financial institution implosion and bailout with a …

   The Register 6 Oct 16:05

   Vodafone opens online library for mobile e-bookworms

   Download a book, save a tree

   If you’d like to lose yourself in an e-book, but don’t want the expense or inconvenience of a large Sony Reader or Amazon Kindle, then hopefully Vodafone's latest idea will keep you reading. Vodafone's Books on Mobile service: download novels direct to your phone The network operator, together with digital publisher …

   Reg Hardware 6 Oct 15:58

   DARPA seeks Special Forces submersible aeroplane

   Wet doesn't have to mean slow any more

   Say what you like about the US military's technology planners, they don't flinch from a challenge. The latest ploy out of the American warboffinry machine is nothing less than an aircraft which can fly underwater. The upcoming aerosubmarine plan was announced on Friday, under the rather uninspiring name "Submersible Aircraft …

   The Register 6 Oct 14:58

   Ballmer backs away from 'Vista Capable' legal row

   Microsoft boss tells judge: 'I don't know nuffink'

   Steve Ballmer has distanced himself from the ongoing “Vista Capable” legal spat by claiming he had no direct involvement in Microsoft’s marketing campaign for the operating system. In a document (pdf courtesy of SeattlePI) filed last Friday, the software giant’s CEO effectively exonerated himself in the Windows Vista Capable …

   Channel Register 6 Oct 14:43

   HTC gets colourful with Touch Diamond

   iPod Nano inspired?

   HTC has breathed new life into its Touch Diamond handset, not by including faster 3G access or near limitless storage, but by shading the phone’s shell in all the colours of the rainbow. HTC's Touch Diamond, in new colours The brightly coloured range has shown-up on a French retailer’s website, where it’s offering the …

   Reg Hardware 6 Oct 14:38

   Harvey Keitel to experience Life on Mars

   US rehash hits the small screen

   Here's some good news for those of you who like a good British TV series with fewer British people in it and preferably set in the US of A: American viewers will later this week get to enjoy Life on Mars relocated to New York and with Harvey Keitel as "irascible" Lieutenant Gene Hunt. The blurb explains: Where were you in …

   The Register 6 Oct 14:13

   Acer: We’re comin’ at ya, Dell

   The PC company that rose without trace

   And so to Budapest last month for Acer’s annual global press conference. What did I learn? That Acer in recent years rose without trace to become easily the world’s third biggest PC vendor. That in the first half of this year, the company supplanted Dell to become the world’s second biggest laptop supplier. And that the Acer …

   Channel Register 6 Oct 14:12

   eBay cuts jobs, buys credit firm

   Credit? What could possibly go wrong?

   eBay is laying off 1,000 staff and getting rid of hundreds of temporary positions at the same time as it buys three companies. The job cuts will come at eBay offices around the world, and will cost the firm between $70m and $80m. John Donahoe, the online tat house's chief executive, said of the redundancies: “While never an …

   The Register 6 Oct 14:11

   Nexsan breaks up archive for faster search

   Waves AaaS, but will customers bite?

   Nexsan is splitting its content archive into pieces for faster search and archive service delivery to individual users. A content-addressable store (CAS) is a disk-based storage array with software that stores files as objects with addresses based on their content. This storage product category was established by EMC's Centera …

   The Register 6 Oct 14:04

   Captain Cyborg to chew the fat with Ultra Hal

   Reading uni hosts Turing Test contenders

   Reading Uni's cybernetic media strumpet Kev "Captain Cyborg" Warwick is poised to put six computer programmes to ultimate test - that devised by Alan Turing in which the machine must engage in convincingly human banter, thereby heralding "the most significant breakthrough in artificial intelligence since the IBM supercomputer …

   The Register 6 Oct 13:56

   In-body electric eel tech to make 'leccy from body fat

   mp3 charger name forecast: iSingTheBodyElectric™

   US scientists believe it could be possible to use artificial electric eel cells grafted into the human body to generate power for cybernetic implant devices. The pseudo-electrocytes would harvest the necessary energy from body fats and sugars. Engineer David LaVan of the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST …

   The Register 6 Oct 13:19

   Sergey Brin descends from Mount Sinai with Android API

   Fail and You The Ten Commandments or a waste of time?

   If there's one thing that's never affected by economic downturn, it's the mobile handset market. This phenomenon is most evident at the underground parties and dive bars in San Francisco, where it is a well known yet unspoken tradition that in any given group of hipsters, the one with the cheapest phone must always buy the first …

   The Register 6 Oct 13:02

   Agile development - can’t scale, won’t scale?

   Reg Reader Workshop Where’s the point of no return?

   Who could fault the base principles of agility? I was recently talking to a CIO of a European telco, who was totally bought into the strategy of delivering services as fast as possible to customers. In this fickle, subscriber-based market time literally means money won or lost relative to the competition. “Agility is a business …

   The Register 6 Oct 12:52

   SanDisk gets Samsung in X4 armlock

   Give us more money you cheapskate

   A US court ruling makes SanDisk free to charge Samsung more licence fee cash for its industry-leading four-bits-per-cell Flash technology. Flash memory chips are composed of cells, and the more bits a cell can support the higher the capacity of the Flash chip, and the lower its price per bit. The fastest Flash has one bit per …

   The Register 6 Oct 12:39

   Manhunt 2 to hit UK on Halloween

   Pitch-forks at the ready...

   What better day to release the second most complained about game after Grand Theft Auto IV than 31 October, otherwise known as Halloween? Yes, games developer Rockstar has confirmed that Manhunt 2 will make its first (official) bloody appearance in the UK at the end of this month on the Wii, PlayStation Portable, PS2 and PC. …

   Reg Hardware 6 Oct 12:30

   BlackBerry Storm revealed in slides

   RIM still keeping mum

   Lots of rumours have already surfaced about RIM’s first touchscreen BlackBerry, the Storm. But now the most solid evidence has come to light suggesting arrival soon, thanks to a leaked presentation. RIM's BlackBerry Storm. Coming soon, we hope A set of 17 very official looking slides appeared in a report by Boy Genius …

   Reg Hardware 6 Oct 12:19

   BSA flashes gums at 'online software scams'

   Keeps teeth in jar by bed

   The Business Software Alliance (BSA) claimed late last week to have issued nearly 50,000 takedown notices about BitTorrent files in the first half of this year. The group, in its latest effort to crack down on what it describes as “online software scams”, claimed (pdf) that BSA members lost an estimated $525m in sales as a …

   The Register 6 Oct 12:13

   'Leccy Tech Berlin drivers first to trial next-gen electric Smart

   Smart has shown off the latest version of its 'leccy ForTwo - dubbed the ED, for 'electric drive' - at the Paris Motor Show. Smart's ForTwo ED: li-ion version Berlin bound The new FourTwo ED packs the flavour-of-the-month battery technology, lithium-ion, though Smart didn't detail what a difference it makes over the old- …

   Reg Hardware 6 Oct 12:12

   Melamine, poisons and the misappliance of science

   The takeaways from rogue Chinese food additives

   As melamine alerts reverberate around the world in the wake of China's dairy export industry, it affords us an opportunity to look at bad chemistry while considering the scale of the global food market. And how vulnerable consumers are when garden-variety greed, not terrorism, is the driver in mass poisonings. In the first …

   The Register 6 Oct 11:49

   The Obscene Publications Act rides again

   Girls Aloud case heads for court - net holds its breath

   The legal world is buzzing at the announcement last week of the prosecution of 35-year-old civil servant Darryn Walker for the online publication of material that Police and Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) believe to be obscene. This is the first such prosecution for written material in nearly two decades – and a guilty …

   The Register 6 Oct 11:26

   Stick health warnings on gays, says Stock Exchange chaplain

   Tattoos to combat the evils of sodomy

   The chaplain to the London Stock Exchange may be forced to walk the plank after demanding that gay chaps be tattooed with cig-packet-style health warnings highlighting the evils of boy-on-boy. The Rev Peter Mullen, 66, declared on his blog: "It is time that religious believers began to recommend ... discouragements of …

   The Register 6 Oct 11:24

   Hosting biz-queenpin parachutes Everest

   Memset MD strives for gender-balanced IT sector

   One of the UK's most prominent female IT executives has joined the first group of skydivers to freefall over Mount Everest. Kate Craig-Wood is MD of Memset Ltd, "the UK's first carbon-neutral hosting company". She will be making the Everest jump in order to raise money for Computer Clubs for Girls (CC4G), a third-sector outfit …

   The Register 6 Oct 11:18

   Amazon's 'Kindle 2' spotted in the wild

   Rounder, thinner, flatter

   Amazon clearly isn’t about to sit back and let Sony’s latest Reader hog all the limelight. It's no surprise, then, that pictures of the online retailer’s updated Kindle have appeared online. Hitch-hiker's Guide: Amazon's second go at the Kindle Images courtesy of BGR According to a report by BGR, the new model sports …

   Reg Hardware 6 Oct 11:18

   Credit agencies get death lists

   Fighting ID fraud with weekly updates

   Credit agencies and other organisations will receive a weekly encrypted list of deaths from the official registrar to stop fraudsters using the identities of the recently deceased to apply for credit cards and identity documents. Information on about 12,000 deaths a week will be sent out by the General Register for England and …

   The Register 6 Oct 11:17

   McCain laptop theft sparks conspiracy theories

   Political shenanigans

   Thieves have stolen a laptop from the Missouri campaign office of Republican presidential candidate John McCain. The Dell machine was swiped sometime in the early hours of Wednesday morning (1 October) after unidentified thieves gained entry to the office in Independence, Missouri by chucking a brick through its window. The …

   The Register 6 Oct 11:16

   Trigger-happy Welsh cops taser sheep

   'Sparky' taken out in runaway ovine dual carriageway drama

   North Wales Police have taken a bit of flak for last Wednesday tasering a runaway ram which was threatening traffic on the A55 near Bodelwyddan, the Daily Mail reports. Driver Mark Faulkes, 47, of Flint, recounted: "We came across a traffic jam and we saw there was a sheep in the road. Everyone had stopped their cars and a few …

   The Register 6 Oct 11:13

   Anonymous plans zombie Scientology protest

   You've got red on you

   Anonymous is planning a zombie-themed protest in the latest phase of its long-running campaign against the Church of Scientology. The group, much in the news of late after a member reportedly hacked into the webmail account of Republican VP candidate Sarah Palin, is back on familiar ground with its ninth monthly protest …

   The Register 6 Oct 11:07

   MSI prepping 'ThinkPad style' netbook

   SSD option, HSDPA on board

   MSI is preparing a version of its Wind Small, Cheap Computer that uses solid-state storage instead of a hard drive. And it'll incorporate HSDPA 3G connectivity. Dubbed the Wind U120, details of the machine were provided by Andy Tung, MSI US' sales chief, interviewed by Laptop Magazine. Like the today's Wind U100, the new model …

   Reg Hardware 6 Oct 11:03

   Asus Eee PC 1000 10in Linux netbook

   Review The Eee family expands - literally

   Asus missed a trick when it released the Eee PC 901: it didn't incorporate a bigger keyboard than the one on the Eee 701. Had it done so, there wouldn't perhaps be a need for the 1000. Yes, the 1000 comes with a larger, 10.2in screen, but with the display's 1024 x 600 resolution matching that of the 8.9in panel built into the …

   Reg Hardware 6 Oct 11:02

   UK border facial scan tests hit by errors and breakdowns

   Calibration, reliability and tailgating issues

   A trial of automated border control using facial scanners is already in trouble, according to UK Border Agency (UKBA) sources quoted by the Daily Telegraph. The scanners at Manchester airport, said one source, are breaking down on almost a daily basis, and the automatic booths are unable to detect 'tailgating', where two …

   The Register 6 Oct 10:53

   Kingston jumps on Intel SSD train

   Will supply business after-market

   Intel has bulked up its solid state drive (SSD) channel and rounded up Kingston to resell its products to business notebook and server users. This will complement Intel's own SSD OEM channel. Kingston supplies memory products to businesses that want to upgrade their PCs and servers, as well as USB memory cards to store …

   The Register 6 Oct 10:51

   Nokia's Communicator to make a comeback?

   Business talker updated with touchscreen and swivel

   Nokia may be preparing the successor to its E90 Communicator, if a pair of images that the phone giant used in a recent presentation about its S60 user interface are taken at face value. Nokia's updated Communicator Images of the unnamed handset show a device that borrows much of its styling from the currently available E90 …

   Reg Hardware 6 Oct 10:26

   Birmingham Airport in X-rated X-ray shocker

   Annual report reveals passenger's intimate luggage secrets

   Birmingham International Airport last week released its 2007-2008 Report and Accounts (pdf) - an engrossing 33-page read which explains why the facility "increasingly offers a high-quality alternative for those Midlands passengers who currently fly from other airports, to travel instead from Birmingham". Well, there's one …

   The Register 6 Oct 10:24

   Crypto attack unveils hidden backups

   Hide and seek

   A German cryptographer has discovered a technique that discloses the presence of a hidden encrypted volume in a disc backup. The sophisticated comparison-based technique doesn't allow the encrypted backup volumes to be read, but it does allow police or other interested parties to determine that it is there. The approach, …

   The Register 6 Oct 10:19

   AMD releases revamped model number scheme for 45nm Phenoms

   AMD's plan to offer Phenom X4 quad-core processors based on its Socket AM2+ interconnect in Q4 then follow them with Socket AM3 models in Q1 2009, is well known. Until now, though, we didn't know the model numbers. According to motherboard moles cited by Chinese-language site HKEPC, the AM2+ parts will be called the 20350 and …

   Reg Hardware 6 Oct 09:55

   Dell UK releases Ubuntu netbook but favours Windows

   Get a better deal with the XP version?

   Dell UK has introduced the Linux version of its Inspiron Mini 9 netbook, but potential buyers will undoubtedly be annoyed at the lack of configuration options. Available now, the Linux Mini 9 runs Ubuntu 8.04. It's powered by the obligatory 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 processor, has 1GB of 533MHz DDR 2 memory, and a 8.9in 1024 x …

   Reg Hardware 6 Oct 09:31

   Sainsbury's launch console price war

   Buy something new today

   If you’ve been saving up for an Xbox 360 or Wii then get yourself down to Sainsbury’s - the grocer’s lastest console offer is sure to make your life taste better. Despite Microsoft only recently cutting the cost of all Xbox 360 models, Sainsbury’s has reduced prices even further and will now sell the Arcade for just £100 ($177 …

   Reg Hardware 6 Oct 09:29

   Miliband the Younger becomes Green Energy minister

   Dept for of Energy & Climate Change set up

   The Brown government has now established a new Department of Energy and Climate Change, and appointed meteoric Labour politico Ed Miliband - younger brother of the Foreign Secretary, David - to lead it. "The new department reflects the fact that energy policy and climate change are directly linked," said Mr Miliband, taking up …

   The Register 6 Oct 09:27

   Nasdaq threatens Overland with de-listing

   Reverse stock-split coming

   Overland Storage's share price has fallen so low that Nasdaq is threatening a de-listing. The company will carry out a reverse stock split to boost the value of its shares. Under Nasdaq Global Market listing rules Overland Storage must have a minimum stock price of $1. On August 19 the firm's share price sank to $0.98 and has …

   The Register 6 Oct 09:25

   Hospital staff use paper to wipe up NHS IT mess

   Running out of patience

   An internal report on the introduction of patient care records at the Royal Free Hampstead reveals serious problems with the project, and no current date for solving them. Hampstead was one of the first hospitals to switch on the new system, which is being rolled out across the country. But the Lessons Learnt from the Royal …

   The Register 6 Oct 09:20

   T-Mobile joins data breach elite

   17 million customer records go missing

   T-Mobile has admitted losing 17 million German customer records including names, addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth and email addresses. The records of German customers were stolen in 2006 and included secret addresses of politicians, an ex-federal president, celebrities and others likely to be at risk from having their …

   The Register 6 Oct 08:15

   Copan plugs on with its creaky green revolution

   What happens if you solve a problem no one cares about?

   Copan makes the greenest disk storage going, with no exception. So with everyone running out of power and data centre space, drowning in unstructured file data - why aren't customers buying it in droves? The trouble is that Copan's products solve a problem many customers don't know that have and aren't motivated to solve …

   The Register 6 Oct 07:02

   Mono delivers Foundation-free open .NET alternative

   Parity on C# 3.0 and LINQ

   The open-source implementation of Microsoft's .NET is due to hit its second release today, with many .NET 3.5 features and a few notable exceptions. Mono 2.0 will be announced today a year and a half later than expected but - thanks to that delay - it features an open-source version of C# 3.0 and Language Integrated Query ( …

   The Register 6 Oct 06:04

4. Saturday, 04 October 2008

   LG KS360 Qwerty keyboard phone

   Review Light on the latest must-have mobile features?

   Normally you’d suspect any handset with a slide out Qwerty keyboard and touchscreen functionality of having smartphone aspirations. But not so the LG KS360. This is a handset designed to appeal squarely to younger mobile buyers looking for messaging and social networking on the move. It has a budget price tag to match, selling …

   Reg Hardware 4 Oct 08:02

   Oracle and HP's database machine predicated on Voltaire

   Interview Israeli firm says Infiniband is best of all possible I0s

   "Common sense is not so common" is a quotation attributed to Voltaire, the 18th century French philosopher, essayist, writer and wit. So, how sensible were HP and Oracle in basing their database machine around an IO fabric that has struggled to find favour beyond the HPC market? The fabric in question is InfiniBand, and the …

   The Register 4 Oct 06:02

5. Friday, 03 October 2008

   Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz calls it quits

   Parting is such sweet sorrow...bitch

   Dustin Moskovitz Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz said today he's leaving the company along with engineering manager Justin Rosenstein to start a new software business. Moskovitz was Mark Zuckerberg's roommate at Harvard University when they founded the social networking website while still students. His work at …

   The Register 3 Oct 23:51

   Apple surrenders the Pink (to Microsoft)

   Zune pilfers famous codename

   And so it has come to this: Microsoft has stooped so low as to filch Apple's codenames. This week, Steve Ballmer reiterated that Redmond has no interest in building a Zune phone. Praise be. But he did say the company is prepping Zune software and services for the Windows Mobile platform, and according to sources whispering to …

   The Register 3 Oct 23:33

   HP preps secret iPhone rival

   Everyone loves a parade

   Only more consumer-y Hewlett-Packard plans on keeping up with the Joneses by releasing a smartphone marketed to consumers within the next two months. At least, according to Wall Street Journal, which cites unnamed sources briefed on HP's latest foray into the increasingly crowded smartphone market. The new device will …

   The Register 3 Oct 23:26

   Mapping the universe at 30 Terabytes a night

   Interview Jeff Kantor, on building and managing a 150 Petabyte database

   It makes for one heck of a project mission statement. Explore the nature of dark matter, chart the Solar System in exhaustive detail, discover and analyze rare objects such as neutron stars and black hole binaries, and map out the structure of the Galaxy. The Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) is, in the words of Jeff …

   The Register 3 Oct 19:15

   Brit, German indicted for stateside satellite TV attacks

   Can't beat 'em? DoS 'em

   A British man and a German man have been indicted by a US federal grand jury for launching a campaign of denial of service attacks against two US-based home satellite television vendors on behalf of a rival company. Lee Grahm Walker of Bleys Bolton and Axel Gembe of Germany were named by a California district court yesterday …

   The Register 3 Oct 19:14

   Microsoft taints open source CodePlex well

   Some projects less open than others

   Microsoft is posting code to its much-trumpeted CodePlex open-source projects site using licenses and conditions that go against the principles of open source. The company has been posting projects under Microsoft licenses that stop you from running CodePlex projects on non-Windows platforms or restrict access to code. The …

   The Register 3 Oct 18:57

   Sudden outbreak of democracy baffles US pundits

   Comment That didn't last long

   Something very spooky happened in the United States last week. The chances are you noticed it too, many days before it was reported. Tuesday found me in New York, on my first stateside visit in a couple of years. The details of the Bailout plan had just been revealed and the slow burn of outrage was apparent everywhere. …

   The Register 3 Oct 18:47

   Hackers exploit Neosploit to booby trap BBC, US postal service

   200K login credentials found on crimeware server

   Cybercrooks have used the latest version of Neosploit to booby-trap an estimated 80,000 legitimate sites with malicious code. Victims of the attack include government, Fortune 500, and a weapons manufacturing firm, according to Ian Amit, director of security research at Aladdin Knowledge Systems. Amit said victims of the …

   The Register 3 Oct 17:24

   Apple shares plunge after Jobs 'heart attack'

   Citizen journalism twaddle

   Apple shares fell as much as 5.4 per cent this morning after a report on CNN's "citizen journalist" web site said Steve Jobs had suffered a major heart attack. According to Bloomberg, the computer maker/cult denied the report, and shares promptly rebounded. At last check, they sat at $104.51, up 4.4 per cent in trading on the …

   The Register 3 Oct 17:02

   Commentard completely loses the plot

   FoTW Weighs into Reg readers, fists flying

   There was time when incoherent rage was directed solely at we poor Reg hacks, long before the days of Democracy 2.0 and our ill-advised decision to allow the hoi polloi to chip their two bits' worth into the hotly-debated topics of the day. Well, we're delighted to offer you this crisp autumn afternoon an outburst worthy of …

   The Register 3 Oct 15:14

   EMI's Sadville man focuses Incoming Brain

   Buzzword Bingo

   Cheer up, EMI investors. The company's "incoming brain" is focussed on "the niches". That's the inspiring message from EMI's new head of digital strategy, Cory Ondrejka. Cory is the man EMI hired away from Sadville, the loss-making online game that's not a game, renowned for its pervs, pyramid schemes and flying penises. …

   The Register 3 Oct 14:52

   Sega to launch PSP beater in 2009

   Exclusive Upcoming handheld games, music, video player spied in the wild

   Sega will next year launch a portable media player boasting enough functionality to threaten Sony’s PlayStation Portable, the Register Hardware can exclusively reveal. Sega Vision: up to eight entertainment features The PMP is to be called the Sega Vision and it’ll work as a videogames machine, in addition to playing films …

   Reg Hardware 3 Oct 14:51

   Barclaycard follows Barclays offline

   Different systems, same problems

   After Barclays customers suffered serious login problems earlier this week, Barclaycard customers are now struggling to use their online service. Problems at the credit card provider began last week with its online system crippled in a two-day total outage, and the login for cardholders is still having difficulties. Many …

   The Register 3 Oct 14:47

   Reg readers: Distributed software development is hard

   Poll results But is there hope?

   The Reg reader poll run earlier this week as part of our agile development workshop produced a set of results that do not paint a particularly inspiring picture. When asked how distributed software development was managed within organisations, almost half told us things were not that great. About a third gave feedback indicating …

   The Register 3 Oct 14:42

   Spam swine break next-gen CAPTCHAs

   Hotmail, Gmail and kitchen-based checks all neutered

   Spammers have reportedly defeated revised CAPTCHAs from both Google and Microsoft. Worse, miscreants intent on establishing online webmail accounts to bombard us all with useless stock tips and penis pills have also broken other forms of verification system designed to tell humans and computers apart, such as kitten-based …

   The Register 3 Oct 14:25

   Tri-corders, alpine oxy-pills: Acropocalypse at DARPA

   NEW-HOTNESS to replace OLD&BUSTED

   It's been a busy few days for the renowned US military crazytech research bureau, DARPA*. The Pentagon wack-profs have announced plans to develop a new drug which will acclimatise troops to thin mountain air very fast, and unveiled plans to make small, portable magnetic-resonance Tricorder-style scan gizmos. They have also …

   The Register 3 Oct 13:48

   DRM-hating eMusic chief quits

   Farewell David Pakman

   David Pakman, CEO of eMusic, will leave the subscription service at the end of the year. Pakman explained his departure on Monday, and yesterday disclosed that his next destination would be VC firm Venrock. Pakman championed DRM-free music, viewing the measures as anti-consumer. This has been a phenomenon, along with his …

   The Register 3 Oct 13:21

   Eidos serves up ghoulish gaming treat

   Monster Lab videogame launched

   With Halloween just around the corner, videogame publisher Eidos has decided to put the frighteners on Wii and DS gamers by launching a ghoulish game. Stich together your own creature in Monster Lab Monster Lab is described as a “RPG action game” in which you take on the role of an apprentice scientist who creates his very …

   Reg Hardware 3 Oct 13:19

   Roll up for the freetard smackdown

   Reader Offer El Reg infiltrates the UK's top cultural jaw-jaw

   Next Thursday, 9 October at 7pm, our very own Andrew Orlowski will be tackling the perennial issue of digital piracy - live and dangerous at the highbrow Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) in London. He'll be taking on New Media consultant Matt Mason, author of The Pirate's Dilemma (How Youth Culture Reinvented Capitalism), …

   The Register 3 Oct 13:02

   Skype admits Chinese privacy breach

   Text messages tapped as well as censored

   VoIP outfit Skype has admitted that surveillance was carried out on instant messages sent using the service in China, blaming local partner TOM Online for the eavesdropping. The eBay subsidiary said that it only discovered this week that a text-filter used to block conversations containing sensitive keywords had been altered …

   The Register 3 Oct 13:01

   PC market defies credit crunch

   HP bests Dell once again

   HP topped the pile in the PC market in the second quarter this year, growing by 19.6 per cent and shipping 13.4 million PCs and notebooks. It nabbed 19.1 per cent of a market which grew 14 per cent year-on-year to total sales of 70.2 million units, despite the global economy faltering around it. HP has led the PC market since …

   Channel Register 3 Oct 12:54

   Sony Ericsson zooms in on cameraphone tech

   Move in to zoom in, move out to zoom out

   A Sony Ericsson patent application has been unearthed that describes the firm’s idea for making camera-phones much easier to use. SE's camera tech could revolutionise zooming The application describes how, instead of manually pressing zoom buttons, the user would simply extend their arm or step towards their photographic …

   Reg Hardware 3 Oct 12:47

   Leadtek readies Cell-based video processing card

   Will not turn your PC into a PS3

   Graphics card maker Leadtek has demo'd an add-in card equipped with Toshiba's QuadCore HD graphics chip, the Cell-derived part also known as the SpursEngine SE1000. It's been showing the single-slot PCI Express card, called the WinFast PxVC1100, at the CEATEC show in Japan. Leadtek's talking about the product as a video- …

   Reg Hardware 3 Oct 12:16

   Spice up your swim, with music

   Waterproof headphones and cases

   Let’s face it, swimming lengths in the local pool is boring. So why not liven things up with a splash of music? H20 Audio's waterproof cans, with gold-plated jack H2O Audio has launched a pair of waterproof headphones to do exactly what’s said on the tin: deliver music to your ears while you're immersed in the pool, the …

   Reg Hardware 3 Oct 12:15

   How the fate of the US economy rests on a Dell workstation

   Quick, someone send Bernanke a supercomputer

   The global economy is teetering on the brink of disaster. So, you might think the quants and smart-alecs of the financial industry would have a giant supercomputer humming away somewhere, processing zillions of what-if scenarios per second and sucking in all manner of real-time economic data from the global markets and …

   The Register 3 Oct 12:02

   BT plots massive Openreach outsourcing deal

   Exclusive Engineers could face open exit

   BT is secretly considering outsourcing the operation of its heavily regulated and unionised network access division Openreach, sources have told The Register. Major outsourcers are currently preparing bids for what would be a multi-billion pound contract. It's understood that EDS and Alcatel-Lucent are among the contenders. …

   The Register 3 Oct 12:01

   Virgin rejects $1m space sex offer

   No grumble flick shoot aboard SpaceShipTwo

   Virgin Galactic has rather churlishly rejected a $1m offer to allow an unnamed company to shoot a zero-grav grumble flick aboard its SpaceShipTwo vehicle - thereby depriving science of crucial research into how humanity might procreate during the very long haul to the nearest Earth-like planet once we've finally screwed this …

   The Register 3 Oct 11:53

   Revealed: How Street View marks its territory

   Google cocks its leg on South London fence

   Those of you who might have wondered just how Google maintains its global supremacy in privacy-busting black ops, and prevents usurpers deploying snoopmobile fleets of their own to photograph the entire planet for exposure to the unwashed masses, might be surprised to learn that the method owes little to hi-tech and more to …

   The Register 3 Oct 11:24

   Dell Latitude E6400 14in business laptop

   Review Dredd-ful new design?

   Dell supplied us with a Latitude E6400 set up for German use. Appropriate given the laptop's design that seems Teutonic in its slab-like seriousness. The other word it brings to mind is "ThinkPad". Let's have a quick look along the Latitude's straight lines and angles, all free from the fripperies of curves. Like the IBM …

   Reg Hardware 3 Oct 11:02

   Nintendo gets chatty with WiiSpeak

   You speak, we Wii speak, we all speak together

   Nintendo has been busying itself lately with the launch of the DSi, but the gaming giant hasn’t forgotten the Wii and is planning to launch a console-based communications channel. WiiSpeak: chat with gamers through the Wii According to numerous online sources, the channel will be called WiiSpeak. It’ll require gamers to …

   Reg Hardware 3 Oct 10:53

   BOFH: The Mandelboat virus

   Episode 32 A handy excuse

   If there's one thing a lifetime in computing teaches you, it's how to cover up your mistakes... "Oopsy," the PFY says in a casual tone mid-keypress - the sort of casual tone which, by its very casualness, means it's not casual at all. "What did you do?" I sigh, fully expecting to hear that some poor user now has a vast …

   The Register 3 Oct 10:52

   Phoenix Lander listens to Mars murmurings

   Crackly space earful imminent

   What would you hear if you were on Mars? A slight hiss from whatever wind there might be and then your own death rattle, probably - but the Phoenix Mars Lander is aiming to find out what other sounds the red planet has to offer. The Lander has a microphone, fitted as part of an imaging system that was going to take photos as …

   The Register 3 Oct 10:51

   Venturi shows eight-motor electric sportster

   'Leccy Tech Hand-made in Monaco

   Gallic moteur maker Venturi has taken the wraps off the result of its co-development effort with tyre company Michelin: un sportster electrique avec two motors in each wheel. Venturi's Volage: hugs the road, actively The four-wheel drive Volage uses one motor for drive, the other for "active" suspension that makes for " …

   Reg Hardware 3 Oct 10:44

   Artist to smoke Cobain's ashes

   Smells like... hey, is anyone else hungry?

   An artist claims to have made a spliff containing the remains of raspy blond grunge genius pin-up martyr Kurt Cobain. The Graunida coughs that Aussie-born Natascha Stellmach, currently exhibiting at Berlin's Galerie Wagner + Partner, plans to sneak the fat one into a secret location in the city and have a good old toke as the …

   The Register 3 Oct 10:41

   Axon tells Infosys to put up or shut up

   Bidding war for SAP firm

   Axon has told Infosys it needs to increase the £400m offer it made for the firm or risk losing out to a rival bidder. At the end of August Indian giant Infosys offered £407.1m to buy UK-based services outfit Axon Group, and Axon's directors recommended that shareholders accept the offer. But yesterday they changed their minds …

   Channel Register 3 Oct 10:37

   Thunderbird 3 release has wings clipped

   Schtop. This email client is not ready yet

   Mozilla has pushed back its development schedule for Thunderbird 3, the next version of its email client. A planned beta of the package will now be described as a third alpha build. The first beta of Thunderbird 3 was due to come out at the end of September. It would have been followed by a second in November and a release …

   The Register 3 Oct 10:31

   Finally launched: Nokia's iPhone beater

   Tube debuts at last

   Nokia has finally launched one of the world's worst kept secrets: its would-be iPhone killer, the Tube. Nokia's XpressMusic 5800: GPS, Facebook, a camera, music, the works... Officially called the 5800 XpressMusic – something else that was already widely known – the curvaceous communicator sports a 3.2in touchscreen and the …

   Reg Hardware 3 Oct 10:07

   Sony revamps e-book Reader with reading lamp

   Manuscripts illuminated

   Having just released its second-generation e-book reader in the UK, Sony has now introduced the third version in the States. Sony PRS-700 Reader: it was a .doc and stormy night... The PRS-700 won't go on sale until next month, but when it does it will sport a 6in E Ink display and enough memory for 350 e-books - up from the …

   Reg Hardware 3 Oct 09:53

   BT's Phorm small print: It's all your fault

   'Daddy needs to tell you about an exciting new service called WebWise'

   BT subscribers who are invited to take part in its new trial of Phorm's internet monitoring and advertising system will be responsible for telling anyone who uses their computer that they could be being tracked online - whether they opt in or not. In the updated Total Broadband terms and conditions for the trial, BT washes its …

   The Register 3 Oct 09:47

   Thomas Crown blagger recruits decoy dupes on internet

   Identi-dress Craigslist flashmob caper foils plods

   A crafty bank robber in America made a Thomas Crown style escape from the scene of his crime by recruiting a crowd of unsuspecting identically-dressed accomplices on the internet. King5.com reports that the well-organised villain struck as an armoured van was picking up cash from the a Bank of America branch in Monroe, …

   The Register 3 Oct 09:46

   Fossett aircraft contains 'minimal' human remains

   But enough to provide a DNA sample

   Investigators probing the crash site of Steve Fossett's Bellanca Super Decathlon - in mountainous terrain near the town of Mammoth Lakes, Mono County, California - have confirmed the wreckage contains "minimal" human remains, but sufficient for DNA identification. Fosset took off on 3 September 2007 from hotelier Barron Hilton …

   The Register 3 Oct 09:11

   Credit crunch hitting IT mergers

   Deals drying up as advisers disappear

   Spending on technology mergers and acquisitions fell by one third compared to the same three months of last year from $58bn to $37bn. Big deals suffered even more than smaller ones - there were only six deals worth more than $1bn between July and September, compared to 11 in the same period last year and 22 such deals in the …

   The Register 3 Oct 08:24

   Defrauded punter says 'catflaps' to PayPal marketing stunt

   Unwelcome doormat gimmick slips up

   A PayPal marketing gimmick has sparked the ire of an online merchant, who reports he was left out of pocket as a result of fraud involving the online payment service. Ian Ferguson's firm was one of 2,000 UK recipients of a doormat bearing a jolly print of 'Unwelcome'. The mats were sent to would-be business clients as part of …

   The Register 3 Oct 06:02

   Microsoft gives users six months longer to flee from Vista

   Buckling to OEMs?

   Never mind that Microsoft has kicked off a hyped ad campaign to convince the public to buy Windows Vista PCs, - it's also given users more time to switch back to Windows XP. OEMs have been given an additional six months to sell PCs running Windows Vista with the ability to downgrade to Windows XP using an accompanying recovery …

   Channel Register 3 Oct 00:35

   Apple royalty skirmish ends in stalemate

   iTunes shutdown threats no more

   Apple's fight against paying songwriters has ended in a stalemate today. The US Copyright Royalty Board rejected raising online royalty rates for song publishers — effectively ending Apple's threats that it would shut down iTunes if the song composer share was increased from 9 cents per song to 15 cents. The rate has now …

   The Register 3 Oct 00:11

   3Tera in virtual Windows server mating call

   AppLogic does Microsoft

   When 3Tera was launched back in 2004, one of the big buzzwords was utility computing, which had just trumped grid computing as the hot new thing. Today, we have cloud computing, and that's the word so many companies - including 3Tera - are wrapping their marketing efforts around. But 3Tera and its AppLogic virtual infrastructure …

   The Register 3 Oct 00:02

   Nintendo DSi's battery life shorter than DS Lite's

   Not up to snuff?

   It’s emerged that the upcoming Nintendo DSi handheld console won’t sport the same battery life as its predecessor, the DS Lite. According to figures from website Kotaku, the DSi’s battery life is shorter across all available levels of display brightness. For example, the DS Lite will run for between 15 and 19 hours when the …

   Reg Hardware 3 Oct 00:02

6. Thursday, 02 October 2008

   IBM, EMC, Microsoft blasted for 'REST rip-off'

   Not just 'idiotic' - 'misleading' too

   IBM, EMC, Microsoft and others have been blasted by the father of Representational State Transfer (REST) for making "misleading" and "idiotic" claims about a proposed specification for applications to talk to different vendors' content management systems (CMS). Picking on last month's over-hyped Content Management …

   The Register 2 Oct 23:07

   Bastard Gator child dies sudden death

   'Spyware king' rests in pieces

   It seems that one of the world's most notorious adware outfits has died. Again. An anonymous tipster tells Valleywag that life has ended for Jellycloud, an online behavioral advertising startup that arose from the remnants of the infamous Gator Corporation. Famously, Gator changed its name to Claria in October 2003 in an …

   The Register 2 Oct 22:58

   Facebook picks Dublin for international HQ

   Top o' the morning...bitch

   Social networking website Facebook plans to establish a new "international headquarters" in the Irish capital of Dublin. The Dublin HQ will house Facebook's sales and support staff catering to its Europe, Middle East, and Africa users, the Irish Times reports. Its current commercial office in London will not be affected by …

   The Register 2 Oct 21:51

   Red Hat chases Redmond with HPC play

   Hello? We supercompute too

   As the largest supplier of commercialized Linux operating systems, it is a bit embarrassing for Red Hat that in the supercomputer market that gave Linux legs, other distributions own the high performance computing (HPC) space. That includes Novell's SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, but also a smattering of other Linuxes. Enter, …

   The Register 2 Oct 21:48

   Nokia's free music offer isn't so free

   Comes With Music comes with indies - and a price

   Few music business people expect Nokia's unlimited free music giveaway to be repeated, or even last very long. There simply aren't enough large consumer companies prepared to take such an expensive gamble. And Nokia's richest partners aren't interested in helping out. But it's a radical and interesting offering that merits …

   The Register 2 Oct 21:21

   Google to save US from fossil fuels

   'Let life imitate Mountain View'

   And we thought Google's work with NASA and private space entrepreneurs was part of a secret plan to escape the Earth before it's too late. Turns out the leading internet ad firm has been devising a plan to save those stuck planet-side as well. In case Google's work with mobile phones, word processing, web browsers, disease …

   The Register 2 Oct 19:01

   Feds: Search engine bride was tax evading prostitute

   Ask Jeeves for 'A Touch of Brazil'

   The wife of Ask.com co-founder David Warthen is facing felony charges after allegedly failing to pay taxes on more than $133,000 she earned as a high-priced interstate prostitute. Federal court papers filed on Tuesday accuse Cristina Warthen - nee Cristina Schultz - of operating "an escort business, in which she exchanged …

   The Register 2 Oct 18:07

   Microsoft turns Live Searchers into gamblers

   More online bribery

   Believe it or not, Microsoft has added a Vegas-style slot program to its Dutch search engine to lure users away from Google. If useful search results don't work, then money or prices probably will. When you search with Google, through Luckysearch.nl or MSN.nl, the reels will spin. You can win LCD screens or laptops or get a …

   The Register 2 Oct 17:47

   California outlaws RFID tag skimming

   You looking at my ID?

   California governor Schwarzenegger has signed a law making the illegitimate reading of RFID tags illegal, but blocked a measure making the unauthorised tracking of kids equally so. RFID Journal reports that anyone skimming an RFID tag issued by a government agency, health insurance company, employer or library could find …

   The Register 2 Oct 17:46

   US cybersecurity shake up would give prez more control

   Hands to the tiller

   A bill that would see the White House take more involvement and control in leading US cybersecurity efforts has been tabled before Congress. The move follows recent criticism of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The latest DHS authorization bill (PDF) turns the director of National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) into a …

   The Register 2 Oct 17:40

   Asus adds HDD to Atom-based old-style Eee

   Ha! It's the Eee 900HA

   Asus' mix'n'match approach to Eee PC specifications and model numbers continues. A version of the Celeron M-based 900 - with an Atom processor and a hard drive - has popped up on Amazon.com. Asus' Eee PC 900HA: now with Atom... now with an HDD Yes, it's the 900HA - Ha! - a 160GB HDD-equipped alternative to the SSD-bearing …

   Reg Hardware 2 Oct 16:24

   WoW gets physical

   Gaming vest provides physical feedback from game

   The developer behind the 3rd Space sensory videogame vest has updated its jacket to include support for World of Warcraft. The 3rd Space gaming jacket: now with in-built WoW feedback TN Games said that they have enhanced the 3rd Space jacket's game driver to give WoW gamers “three dimensionally accurate tactile sensory …

   Reg Hardware 2 Oct 16:03

   Catholic priests cane YouTube over blasphemous vids

   Video hosting site slated for host slating videos

   A group of US priests has demanded YouTube show Catholics the same respect it shows to Jews when it comes to removing sacrilegeous videos. The Confraternity of the Catholic Clergy claims that the video sharing site and general moral cesspit carries at least 40 videos showing “blasphemous sacrilege against the Most Holy …

   The Register 2 Oct 14:55

   Memory gluttony slims suppliers

   Micron's mucky manufacturing mess-up

   Micron announced truly appalling results for its 2008 fiscal year and its senior executives took a 20 per cent pay cut as a mark of shame. In the crazy world of DRAM and flash, gluttony is slimming - to balance sheets that is. Micron has been contributing to a glut of DRAM and NAND flash memory against a background of falling …

   Channel Register 2 Oct 14:52

   Messenger closes on Mercury for second fly-by

   Cameras at the ready...

   NASA's Messenger spacecraft is closing on Mercury for a second fly-by, during which it will snap 1,200 images of the planet's remaining unseen surface. Back in January, Messenger's initial visit returned some nice photos of roughly 20 per cent of Mercury's hitherto hidden hemisphere. It approached to within around 125 miles ( …

   The Register 2 Oct 14:46

   Ecommerce standard tightens up wireless security

   PCI DSS update

   A revised version of an important security standard for ecommerce merchants was published on Wednesday. Version 1.2 of the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) mostly tweaks and clarifies the existing framework for the secure processing of credit card data. The 12 existing requirements - covering areas such …

   The Register 2 Oct 14:34

   Daylight savings shift to cause phone havoc Down Under

   Strewth!

   Unsuspecting Aussies could be in for a spot of aggro this weekend, because Down Under network operator Telstra has warned that some phones won’t support the country’s upcoming daylight savings adjustment. Daylight savings will come into effect three weeks earlier than usual this weekend in New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, …

   Reg Hardware 2 Oct 13:33

   'First production-line energy weapon' now shipping

   Northrop delivers 'push-button' electric raygun to USAF

   American weaponry colossus Northrop Grumman says it has delivered the first production-line solid state energy weapon to the US Air Force. However, the "Vesta II" raygun module doesn't have enough power to meet US military goals for combat applications. At the Northrop raygun test range. Vesta II is described by the company …

   The Register 2 Oct 13:18

   California train smash driver sent text seconds before disaster

   Investigators get to work on sequence of events

   The driver of a Los Angeles commuter train that crashed into an oncoming freight locomotive last month, killing 25, was texting seconds before the impact, investigators confirmed today. The National Transportation Safety Board has been probing claims that Robert Sanchez, 46, missed a red signal because he was distracted by his …

   The Register 2 Oct 13:02

   HBOS could shift 2,000 IT jobs to India

   Hyderabad Bangalore or Sangli

   Halifax Bank of Scotland is considering moving as many as 2,000 backoffice and IT jobs to India. Executives flew out to Bangalore this week to meet possible offshoring partners. According to papers seen by the Mirror, offshore delivery of IT functions is a central part of its cost-cutting plans. The trip by 11 execs cost £45, …

   The Register 2 Oct 12:49

   Asus gets new girl as Eee lass makes Mac move

   Asus' famous Eee PC beach babe has met her match: a new lass snapped with the Small, Cheap Computer maker's N10 notebook-not-netbook. Perhaps in a fit of pique, the original Eee girl - who has already seen off several pretenders to her position as the world's best-known portable PC user - has been spotted enjoying the …

   Reg Hardware 2 Oct 12:38

   T-Mobile launches 3G broadband sharing station

   Pretty little dock for multi-user wireless web

   T-Mobile is on a mission to get all laptop users familiar with 3G, and so has unveiled a docking station for its 3G mobile broadband dongle. T-Mobile's Mobile Broadband Share Dock The Mobile Broadband Share Dock allows multiple users - although T-Mobile recommends no more than three of them at any one time - to share the …

   Reg Hardware 2 Oct 12:34

   UK minister looks for delete key on user generated content

   Burnham lets slip UK.gov real view of the net

   The UKCCIS is go, with the aim of making the internet safe for kids. But is this the beginning of the end of the internet as we know it, or just a Minister reaching for the inevitable soundbite to round off a PR triumph? As we reported, Monday saw the launch of the UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS). This is one of …

   The Register 2 Oct 12:22

   Apple probes poison-pumping Mac claim

   Yet to find toxins in 'new computer' niff

   Apple has found "no evidence" to justify a claim that new Macs are releasing toxic gases, it said yesterday. Last week, French newspaper Liberation reported that a lab worker - who refused to be named - employed by the state-run Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) alleged that there was more to the 'freshly …

   Reg Hardware 2 Oct 11:57

   DVLA: A licence to bill

   Selling your data to... well, anyone

   Why worry about the government losing your data, when for a small fee they’ll cheerfully hand it over to criminals and big business anyway? The question of when, how and to whom the DVLA ought to pass out your personal data is one that has surfaced at regular intervals, ever since the Road Vehicles (Registration and Licensing …

   The Register 2 Oct 11:42

   Riverbed settles de-dupe tech dispute

   $11 million flows to Quantum

   Riverbed and Quantum have settled their legal dispute over patented de-duplication technology, with the former coughing up $11m to release itself from all claims. Both companies have cancelled their legal assaults on each other. Riverbed uses de-duplication technology in its Steelhead WAN acceleration products, so as to pump …