Friday 29 November 2013

Maldonado to race for Lotus alongside Grosjean in 2014

Lotus have signed Pastor Maldonado for the 2014 season, it was announced on Friday. Maldonado, who leaves Williams after three seasons with the British team, replaces the Ferrari-bound Kimi Raikkonen. With Lotus also retaining Romain Grosjean after his strong 2013 campaign, Maldonado's confirmation effectively ends Nico Hulkenberg's chances of moving to the Enstone-based squad from Sauber

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2013/11/15322.html

Last 7m non-digital Brits are OUT OF LUCK: I'm OFF, says Baroness Fox

My work here is done! That other work is not my work


Gasps were heard in places as far from Westminster as London's Brewer Street as news spread that the government's DIGITAL CHAMPION has quit her role.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/29/martha_lane_fox_scarpers_from_rebranded_ukgov_website/

Mercedes evaluating Malaysia's Jaafar

Mercedes are conducting a driver evaluation test with Malaysian driver Jazeman Jaafar at the UK's Silverstone circuit on Friday. As permitted under testing regulations, Jaafar is running in a 2011-model W02 car using demonstration tyres. Jaafar, 21, has competed in both British Formula Three and Formula Renault 3.5 this season

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2013/11/15321.html

4G networks are BIG TIME SUCK for us videogame-obsessed Brits

Meanwhile, at the mall: have you ever caught yourself 'showrooming'?


Brits with 4G mobile contracts are wasting more time than ever by crunching their way through content - with over a quarter of them using their gadgets to download videogames.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/29/orange_exposure_research_4g_in_spain_uk_france/

ENISA wants mobes to wander freely between carriers in emergencies

If your network's crocked, another one picks up the load in the national interest


The European Union Agency for Network and Information Security (ENISA) has floated the idea that all mobile phones should be able to roam to another network within their country of residence, in order to enhance the resilience of mobile networks.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/29/enisa_in_country_mobile_roaming_plan/

NBNCo leak: They would say that, wouldn't they?

Reported Blue Book leak reads like bureaucrats in denial


Fairfax Media has published a report on what it says is part of the “Blue Book”, advice from NBNCo to incoming Australian communications minister Malcolm Turnbull.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/29/nbnco_leak_analysis/

Thursday 28 November 2013

BT fattens flabby Global Services biz to puff and huff way to £32bn

Hopes to be the company that ate ALL the pies


Falling sales at BT's global services division has forced the company to make a bold shift in its strategy in that part of the business by expanding its investments abroad.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/28/bt_global_services_investment_amea/

Ross Brawn to step down as Mercedes team principal

Ross Brawn will step down from his position as team principal at Mercedes at the end of 2013, it was announced on Thursday. Brawn, whose future at the Brackley-based squad had been the subject of considerable speculation in recent months, has chosen to hand over the team leadership to Executive Director (Business) Toto Wolff and Executive Director (Technical) Paddy Lowe

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2013/11/15318.html

Wednesday 27 November 2013

Amazon fires up worldwide Read Replicas for hosted MySQL

Write on one continent, read from replicas nearby


Developers that use the hulking Amazon Web Services infrastructure cloud can now shift Read Replicas of data into other global data center hubs.…






via The Register - Data Centre: Cloud

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/27/amazon_read_replica_rds/

Speaking in Tech: Amazon showed me a 1980s HAIR METAL bar

Plus: 'Dad, I'm so glad you're finally teaching me to use a Chromebook'






via The Register - Data Centre: Cloud

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/27/speaking_in_tech_episode_86/

Hey, boffins, Google wants you to train your AI on VIDEO GAMES

'Who knew a constant diet of violence would lead to such a cruel robot army?'


"Honestly, we never thought feeding our nascent artificial intelligence systems with hours and hours of simulated violence could lead to anything bad. It's really a huge surprise!"…






via The Register - Data Centre: Cloud

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/27/google_video_games_ml/

Microsoft announces new Skype China partner

Guangming Founder gets the gig as snooping fears persist


Microsoft has announced a new JV partner offering Skype services to users in China, but it's likely to continue monitoring text chats and blocking banned keywords according to local laws.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/27/microsoft_skype_china_privacy_jv/

How I got into IT

I've decided to share a brief story of how I got into IT. My hope is that this may inspire someone to take the plunge and enter a fascinating world where you're bound only by your imagination. If it proves popular, I may continue the series and cover my early career.

Techie beginnings…

It all started when my parents bought me a used Sinclair ZX81.  I was 13 and a half.
From that moment on, I spent all of my time hunched in front of that black slab of wonderment, tapping away at its membrane keyboard.

In no time at all I had taught myself the Sinclair BASIC programming language, advancing from the typical “Hello World” program to one that a friend and I wrote which calculated the winners for our fathers' racing pigeon club.  Later I wrote Pigeon Racer 2 on my high-powered Amstrad CPC-464, building in a live top-10 scoreboard which recalculated based on arrival times as the Pigeons came home to roost.

Not long after, at the ripe old age of 16, I was asked to create a dog pedigree program for my father's friend's Alsatian breeding business; my entry into the world of commercial computing.

After leaving college, a relative spotted an ad hidden in the back of a national newspaper.  “Trainee Computer Programmers wanted - no experience necessary.”

Heart racing, I called the number, leaving my details then sitting by the phone like an anxious cat.  A few weeks later I received a call inviting me for an interview.  You could have knocked me over with a feather!

I prepared for the interview by collecting printouts of my best programs (especially the pigeon racing and dog pedigree ones) and putting them neatly into a folder.

The day of the interview arrived, and I headed into London with my father, my folder of programs tucked under one arm.  My heart sank when we arrived for the interview at Tower Bridge. 600 other hopefuls packed the lobby.   Although the initial interview was short, I did manage to briefly refer to my folder full of programs. No-one knew who the company was.

A few days later I was asked to attend the next round of interviews. This time round I had enough time to explain how my programs worked, why I’d made certain design choices, and the challenges around coding for dogs instead of pigeons (they won't sit still, like pigeons). My nerves ratcheted up another notch as I still wasn't told the name of the hiring company.

More days passed, and I had nearly given up when I received a call informing me I had made it to the final interview stage, for News International Newspapers.  It clicked.  I knew why there was so much secrecy around the hiring; they had only recently moved from Fleet Street to Wapping and removed all of the print unions from site. I had seen on the news that there were still picketing lines outside their new location.

The journey to my next interview was the most nerve wracking of all, as not only was I now down to a short-list of around 8 people but I had to walk past the picket lines to get to the building, with the former print-workers shouting abuse as I quickly walked passed.

The final interview went by in a blur of nervousness and techie speak.  As far as I was concerned, it was over before it even started.  Then a few days later that magical call came in - I had the job!



And that’s when the real fun started…

Beer giant San Miguel to become mobile operator

Router hops just took on a deliciously refreshing new meaning


Asia Pacific brewing giant San Miguel Corporation (SMC) is planning a sideways step into the telecoms space by becoming a mobile operator in its home country of the Philippines next year.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/27/philippines_san_miguel_brewery_mobile_telco/

Dropbox is most pleasurable storage cloud for the old in-out

Boffins analyse cloudy contenders' overheads and put Amazon last


Boffins from the University of Twente and the Politecnico Di Torino have run the rule over five consumer-grade cloud storage services to see which performs best in terms of the load they impose on machines running them.…






via The Register - Data Centre: Cloud

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/27/cloud_storage_benchmarks/

Verizon, BT, Vodafone and Level 3 accused of opening Google, Yahoo! data-center cables to NSA

Optic-fiber bizes said to have cooperated with g-men


In October, NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden claimed Uncle Sam's spies tapped into the optic-fiber cables linking the data centers of Google and Yahoo!…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/27/network_providers_accused_of_enabling_nsa_snooping/

Tuesday 26 November 2013

Going bush Down Under? Your fave cat vids can come too!

Vulture South distills the World Solar Challenge into a bush communications guide


The Vulture South team has just driven from Darwin to Adelaide to cover the World Solar Challenge, the biennial car race that aims to accelerate the development of solar technology.…





via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/26/remote_australia_telecommunications_guide/

Is that you, HAL? No, it's NEIL: Google, US Navy pour money into 'associative' AI brain

No sleep. No food. Just 4 months of internet ... poor thing


NEIL hasn't slept or eaten in four months, it's just browsed the internet and tried to figure out connections between aircraft and aircraft carriers, or hot dogs and buns.…







via The Register - Data Centre: Cloud

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/26/neil_associative_ai/

The TWEET got me drunk, Conshtable, I SHWEAR IT

Twitter strengthens ID checks to stop underage drinkers seeing boozy Tweets


Twitter has taken the odd step of enhancing its age verification routines so that alcohol vendors can “connect with an age-appropriate audience”.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/26/the_tweet_got_me_drunk_conshtable_i_shwear_it/

NBN day of action fizzles as just 20 show at Turnbull's office

Slacktivism critics: you have your case study


The day of action in support of Australia's National Broadband Network (NBN) has fizzled out, with just 20 people attending an event at the office of communications minister Malcolm Turnbull. Four of the twenty, including your correspondent, were media. One was a baby.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/26/nbn_day_of_action_fizzzles/

Monday 25 November 2013

Mobile price competition stirs in Australia

Vodafail over, competition resumes, says Goldman Sachs


Beleaguered Australian mobile users might be about to get some price relief, if research from Goldman Sachs proves accurate.…




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http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/25/mobile_price_competition_stirs_in_australia/

SP Ausnet picks Ericsson for 3G smart meter rollout

Will they be able to handle the tinfoil hat brigade?


Ericsson has put up its hand and declared itself the winner of the contract to provide Australian electricity distributor SP Ausnet with 108,000 smart meters in the State of Victoria.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/25/sp_ausnet_smart_meters/

SAP: Oh snap, where is everybody... Are we LATE for the cloud?

Software sales 'ain't what they used to be


SAP is looking at accelerating its move into the cloud, and shunting more of its business there over the coming year.…






via The Register - Data Centre: Cloud

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.channelregister.co.uk/2013/11/25/sap_cloud_growth/

Salesforce $1m hackathon win under scrutiny after brouhaha

Hackers should play by the rules, it seems


Salesforce is investigating the finalists in its $1m mobile apps hackathon to ensure the competition’s rules weren't broken.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/25/salesforce_hackathon_storm/

Facebook's Zuckerberg: US gov 'blew it' on mass surveillance

By all means MINE THAT DATA, just tell us about it... bitch


Facebook supremo Mark Zuckerberg - whose company is routinely criticised for its dubious data-mining practices - has attacked the US government for being secretive about its online spying activities.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/25/zuckerberg_says_us_government_blew_it_on_mass_surveillance/

Leaked MS ad video parodies Chrome as surveillance tech

Kettle, Kettle, come in, over. Kettle, kettle, do you copy, this is Pot, over


A leaked Microsoft ad, meant only for internal consumption, parodies a Google campaign as it portrays Google Chrome as a data-snaffling privacy-stealing parasite.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/25/scroogled_leak_video/

Cisco untroubled by mega-clouds fleeing its proprietary ASIC grip

Prison warden gets ready to sell powerful inmates skeleton keys


Networking giant Cisco is facing the same onrush of terrifying low-cost competitors that server vendors and chipmakers are dealing with, and is now trying to convince the world that its tech is more open and interoperable than people think.…






via The Register - Data Centre: Cloud

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/25/cisco_asic_sdn_response/

Sunday 24 November 2013

FIA post-race press conference - Brazil

For the final time in his F1 racing career, Mark Webber faced the media in the official FIA press conference. He was joined by the winner in Brazil - Sebastian Vettel - and third-place finisher Fernando Alonso

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2013/11/15310.html

Race - selected team and driver quotes

Sebastian Vettel on claiming his ninth consecutive victory this season; Mark Webber on bowing out of F1 with second place; Fernando Alonso on ending the year on the podium; Lewis Hamilton on his tangle with Valtteri Bottas; Felipe Massa on his controversial penalty; the Marussia team on beating Caterham to tenth in the constructors' championship. All 22 drivers and senior team personnel report back on an emotional day of racing in Brazil

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2013/11/15309.html

Race - Vettel victorious, Webber bows out with second

Sebastian Vettel took his ninth consecutive win of 2013 at the final race of the season in Brazil on Sunday, as Red Bull team mate Mark Webber ended his F1 career with second place. Vettel lost the lead at the start, but swiftly regained it and then never relinquished it. Webber too slipped back early on, but battled his way through, as Ferrari's Fernando Alonso completed the podium

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2013/11/15308.html

Saturday 23 November 2013

FIA post-qualifying press conference - Brazil

Drivers: 1 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing); 2 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes); 3 - Fernando Alonso (Ferrari). Q: Congratulations Sebastian, another excellent qualifying for you, your 45th pole, your second here, and your ninth this year. But what a margin as well, that's incredible

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2013/11/15303.html

Qualifying - selected team and driver quotes

Sebastian Vettel on securing his ninth pole position of the season; Mark Webber on his final F1 qualifying session; Romain Grosjean on his quick switch to intermediates in Q3; Nico Rosberg on earning his seventh front row start of the year; Jenson Button on how McLaren's decision to sit out most of FP3 might have cost them in qualifying. All 22 drivers and senior team personnel report back on a wet day of action in Sao Paulo

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2013/11/15300.html

Qualifying - Vettel crushes opposition for Brazilian pole

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel produced a sublime lap in treacherous conditions to claim his ninth pole position of the season in Brazil on Saturday. Heavy rain had delayed the start of Q3, but when the action got going it was the world champion who made the most of the intermediate tyres to set a lap time over a half a second quicker than those of Mercedes' Nico Rosberg and Ferrari's Fernando Alonso

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2013/11/15299.html

Final practice - Webber fastest as wet weather continues in Brazil

The rain continued to fall during final practice in Brazil on Saturday morning, as Red Bull's Mark Webber emerged through the spray to claim the quickest time. The Australian clocked the P1 time late in the session on intermediate tyres, however several drivers - including Mercedes' Nico Rosberg and Ferrari's Fernando Alonso - opted not to complete a timed lap

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2013/11/15296.html

Microsoft pulls its crowd-control tech from out of the shadows

Azure update comes alongside major Microsoft-wide DNS screwup


Microsoft pushed its Windows Azure load balancing technology into general availability amid a widespread DNS disruption.…






via The Register - Data Centre: Cloud

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/23/windows_azure_load_balancing/

Guess which major US telco ISN'T cracking down on premium SMS spam?

Well, not right now, anyway...


AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile have agreed to stop charging their customers for premium text messages (PSMS), a practice that costs US folks an estimated $2bn in excess charges a year.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/23/most_us_telcos_agree_to_crack_down_on_premium_sms_spam/

Friday 22 November 2013

FIA Friday press conference - Brazil

Team Representatives - Eric Boullier (Lotus), Stefano Domenicali (Ferrari), Ross Brawn (Mercedes), John Booth (Marussia), Cyril Abiteboul (Caterham). Q: I'll start with you Cyril. One last chance to try to snatch that 10th place in the constructors' table? From Caterham's perspective, how costly would finishing last in the championship be

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2013/11/15293.html

Friday practice - selected team and driver quotes

Mercedes' Nico Rosberg on his table-topping performances in FP1 and FP2; Red Bull's Mark Webber on his final Friday of F1 action; Toro Rosso rookie Daniil Kvyat on his impressive wet weather performance; Felipe Massa on performing in front of his home crowd. We hear back from all the drivers and senior team personnel on a soggy first day in Sao Paulo

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2013/11/15290.html

Practice Two - Rosberg quickest again in rain-hit session in Brazil

After topping the times in Friday morning's wet first practice session, Mercedes' Nico Rosberg was quickest again in FP2 as the rain continued to fall in Sao Paulo in the afternoon. With lots of standing water on track, many of the teams left it until the last half hour of the session before doing any serious running. Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel went quickest late on, but Rosberg dislodged him with a terrific final run

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2013/11/15289.html

Spotify reckons it's worth $4 BILLION - and Netflix investor agrees

Early backer shovels $250m into music streaming service


In the latest WTF valuation, music streaming site Spotify has raised around $250m in fresh funding, valuing the firm at a hefty $4bn.…






via The Register - Data Centre: Cloud

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/22/spotifys_latest_funding_values_it_at_4bn/

Practice One - Rosberg leads Mercedes one-two in rainy Brazil

Nico Rosberg headed team mate Lewis Hamilton in a Mercedes one-two as practice got underway in damp conditions at Interlagos on Friday morning. As the rain subsided briefly, the German clocked an early lap of 1m 24.781s on the intermediate tyres, with Hamilton setting a time just under half a second slower. Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel left it late to record the third fastest lap

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2013/11/15287.html

Can't wait for 4G? Take heart, 5G is on the way

And Ofcom wants your views on where it should go


Mobile data volumes have increased 50 per cent in the year to June, having doubled over the year before that - so the crunch will always be with us. 5G just one of many data applications for spectrum that Ofcom wants you to think about.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/22/cant_wait_for_4g_take_heart_5g_is_on_the_way_and_ofcom_wants_your_views_on_where_it_should_go/

Berners-Lee: 'Growing tide of surveillance' is destroying the internet

Stop killing my baby, says British web daddy


Tim Berners-Lee has warned that snooping spooks are destroying the free spirit of the internet.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/22/bernerslee_spooks_risk_destroying_the_internet/

Bug bounty upstart thinks there's BIG MONEY in crowdtesting

They might be onto something by outsourcing it, though


Security startup CrowdCurity is marketing a cloud-based platform that allows businesses to set up and run their own bug bounty and security testing programmes.…






via The Register - Data Centre: Cloud

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/22/crowdsource_bug_bounty_scheme/

Fake X-RATED Facebook scam vids of pop minx Selena Gomez: Man sued

Bloke tricked people into viewing ads, alleges ad-backed social network


Facebook is suing a man accused of flooding the social network with spam posts and fake applications.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/22/facebook_sues_man_for_justin_bieber_and_selena_gomez_spam/

Pro-fibre-to-the-premises protestors call NBN Day of Action

Marches to deliver petitions to MPs' offices


Doing anything next Tuesday, November 26th?…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/22/nbn_day_of_action/

Thursday 21 November 2013

FIA Thursday press conference - Brazil

Drivers - Charles Pic (Caterham), Max Chilton (Marussia), Giedo Van Der Garde (Caterham), Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso), Felipe Massa (Ferrari), Mark Webber (Red Bull Racing). Q: I'll start with you Mark: 215th and final Grand Prix start this weekend. I know you've had time to come to terms with your retirement from Formula One but when you climb into that Red Bull for one last time, it's going to emotional isn't it

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2013/11/15282.html

FCC: How we'll RIP 'n' REPLACE OLD phone system for new IP tech

Commission fails to mention privacy protections in migration


The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is talking up the potential of a looming overhaul of the nation's telephony service.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/21/fcc_lays_out_visions_for_ip_phone_networks/

Google rolls out fibre to 3 million Ugandans: Ni marungi*, nyan cat

Forget net neutrality, you fools! Here, have some pussy


Ad kingpin Google is flashing its talons in Kampala, Uganda, where it has built - in its own words - "a super-fast, high-capacity fibre network to enable any local mobile operator or ISP to connect more people" in the African city.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/21/google_fibre_kampala/

No more Service Packs for Microsoft Office? HA! Think again, Ballmer!

Office 2013 SP1 to ship early next year


Despite outgoing CEO Steve Ballmer's much-ballyhooed push toward a "rapid release" publishing schedule, Microsoft now says it will ship a Service Pack for Office 2013 in early 2014.…






via The Register - Data Centre: Cloud

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/20/office_2013_sp1_next_year/

Hate Skype now it's part of Microsoft? How about a Chinese clone, then?

China mobile's Jengo VoIP service offers free calls and rents Honkers phone numbers


Look out Skype; China Mobile has launched a new VoIP service in a bid to snag international users making or receiving calls from the People’s Republic.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/21/jego_skype_china_mobile_voip/

Wednesday 20 November 2013

Rackspace catches up to Amazon... four years later: Say hi again to auto-scale

New demand-response feature is vintage Bezos tech


Rackspace has announced the general availability of "Auto Scaling" technology for its public cloud, catching up with Amazon which implemented the tech in 2009.…






via The Register - Data Centre: Cloud

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/20/auto_scaling_rackspace_cloud/

Cloud upstart Apprenda plots Euro invasion with sugar daddies' $16m pot

Hey, Pivotal, Red Hat, you wanna take this outside, huh, punks?


Platform-as-a-service minnow Apprenda has raised $16m in filthy valley lucre – to help it expand overseas and compete with rivals Pivotal and Red Hat.…






via The Register - Data Centre: Cloud

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/20/apprenda_paas_funding/

Kerching! Nominet preps for cash AVALANCHE from shorter UK domain names

'Blatant money grab' wail cash-strapped registrars


Whether online businesses in the UK like it or not - Dot-UK registry Nominet is now bringing second-level namespaces to life.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/20/nominet_shorter_domain_names_coming_in_2014/

Internet daddy Vint Cerf: 'Privacy may be an ANOMALY'

'Our social behaviour [online] is quite damaging'


Vint Cerf has said that expectations of privacy in the digital age may be impossible to achieve because of the level of oversharing that takes place on social media sites.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/20/vint_cerf_privacy_may_be_an_anomaly_online/

Cloud storage rains on '800lb Fibre Channel gorilla' Brocade

In suspense and looking for recovery


Brocade results show its business flatlining with steady-ish revenues and profits, and growth dependent on a recovering market but no technology rabbits to pull out of its hat and drive growth higher.…






via The Register - Data Centre: Cloud

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/20/brocade_in_suspense_and_looking_for_recovery/

China bets the house on LTE TDD

Ericsson gets the gig to unwire the Middle Kingdom with LTE variant


Swedish telecoms kit maker Ericsson has scored something of a coup by landing a deal with China Mobile to deploy LTE TDD, the variant of the LTE standard favoured China, to 15 Chinese provinces that house 63 per cent of the nation's population.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/20/ericsson_huawei_china_mobile_lte/

Gartner: OpenStack in the enterprise? Ha ha ha, you must be joking

'Don't believe the hype'


The OpenStack open-source project has come in for criticism from a Gartner analyst because the claims made by companies frequently don't line up with reality.…






via The Register - Data Centre: Cloud

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/20/gartner_openstack_criticism/

NBN Co to test basement fibre for offices, apartments

Mal the Builder's henchman explains faster build for slower network


NBN Co has announced a test designed to get it around one of the thornier roadblocks in its rollout, the handling of offices and apartments.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/20/nbn_co_to_test_basement_fibre_for_offices_apartments/

Back to the future: Optus to trial wireless last mile again

Unwired, XYZed stir in unquiet graves


In a move that might cause belly-flutters over at Vivid Wireless, Optus has announced an internal trial using 4G links for home broadband.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/20/optus_4g_home_broadband/

Who wants 10TB of FREE cloud storage? Hands down if China is a deal breaker?

Hands up if you're just gonna use it for, er, cat videos?


Chinese web giant Tencent has vowed to offer 10TB cloud storage accounts to international users free of charge.…






via The Register - Data Centre: Cloud

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/20/tencent_10tb_cloud_storage_free/

Tuesday 19 November 2013

Google makes Gmail EVEN NOISIER, or should that be nosier?

Email service revelation... exposed


Google has added more intrusive buttons to its email service as it continues to try to spread its ad goo across its vast online estate.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/12/google_makes_gmail_even_noisier_or_should_that_be_nosier/

Telco CenturyLink is moved to tiers: Biz gobbles Tier 3 cloud shop

Second Cloud Foundry tech swallow this year


Cloud provider Tier 3 has been snapped up by CenturyLink, fleshing out the telco's cloud portfolio and marking another sign of confidence in the Cloud Foundry platform technology.…






via The Register - Data Centre: Cloud

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/19/tier_3_acquisition_centurylink/

Samsung pulls Galaxy S3 update as users moan: But it's PANTS

Batteries sucked dry and mobes bricked, say mobe owners


Samsung has suspended the Android 4.3 software upgrade for Brit Galaxy S3 owners after the over-the-air update borked a bunch of mobes.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/19/samsung_s3_upgrade_pulled/

Salesforce, HP pit newly grown 'Superpods' against Amazon jungle

Take on cloud giant with reservations at arm's length


Salesforce is partnering with Hewlett-Packard in a huge strategic nudge to make Marc Benioff’s cloud company more like Amazon.…






via The Register - Data Centre: Cloud

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/19/salesforce_hp_superpods/

Lavabit founder: Feds ORDERED email providers to stay open

Plus: Moxie labels shuttered service's crypto no better than 'a promise not to peek'


Lavabit's founder has claimed other secure webmail providers who threatened to shut themselves down in the wake of the NSA spying revelations had received court orders forcing them to stay up.…






via The Register - Data Centre: Cloud

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/19/lavabit_analysis/

Massa on Sao Paulo: It's going to be emotional

Felipe Massa has said that competing in his final Grand Prix with Ferrari on home soil will make it an even more emotional affair. The race in Brazil marks the final time the 32-year-old Sao Paulo-born racer will drive for the Scuderia after eight years racing in red

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2013/11/15277.html

Our smartwatch: Ideal for MILEY CYRUS in JUST HER PANTS - Samsung

And it is selling like Hot Buns, insists chaebol


Samsung has scoffed at claims that it has sold hardly any of its shiny, pricey Galaxy Gear smartwatches.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/19/watch_war_samsung_blasts_galaxy_gear_poor_sales_claim/

Salesforce slaps Amazon, Google with glove: 'I'm THE FIRST $1bn-quarter enterprise cloud biz'

But faint whiff of trouble pulls shares down


Salesforce shares stumbled down 1.5 percent on Monday after the customer relationship management company reported third quarter revenues that narrowly beat analyst expectations.…






via The Register - Data Centre: Cloud

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/19/salesforce_disappointing_earnings/

Monday 18 November 2013

Salesforce gobbles cloud database upstart Cloudconnect

Upcoming Heroku1 PaaS feasts on fresh tech meat


Cloud integration service Cloudconnect has been acquired by Salesforce to help the company lash databases together with cloud services.…






via The Register - Data Centre: Cloud

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/18/salesforce_cloudconnect_acquisition/

Malcolm Turnbull's website makes funny Facebook fan numbers

Mal the builder 'reboots' NBN debate by proclaiming copper revolution


Australia's communications minister Malcolm Turnbull has once again outlined how everyone - his predecessors, the press, people who disagree with him - have messed up Australia's national broadband network.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/18/malcolm_turnbulls_website_making_funny_facebook_fan_numbers/

Brazil preview quotes - Pirelli on Interlagos

The 19th and final round of the 2013 FIA Formula One World Championship sees the paddock head south from the USA to Brazil and Sao Paulo's historic Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace. Those involved in the Formula 1 Grande Premio Petrobras do Brasil 2013 discuss their prospects for the coming weekend

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2013/11/15274.html

CA follows the Riverbed, hopes to find cloudy Amazon mainframe gold

We came, we saw a niche, we hope to conquer


In a smart bit of niche identification and gap-filling, stuffy old CA Technologies is getting mainframe backup data to Amazon's cloud by going through Riverbed.…






via The Register - Data Centre: Cloud

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/18/ca_jumping_into_mainframe_cloud_niche/

XtremIO in SSD brickup ballsup: 'We have seen over 150 ... so far'

Don't worry, failure rate is 'really a non-issue', says exec


An EMC exec has admitted that the SSDs inside the company's flagship XtremIO all-flash arrays have a high failure rate after installation.…






via The Register - Data Centre: Cloud

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/18/xtremio_kit_has_high_initial_flash_death_rate/

BT Openreach boss QUITS to quench ambitious thirst

Liv Garfield exits telco for top job at FTSE 100 water company


BT's Openreach boss Liv Garfield has quit the one-time national telco just two months after Gavin Patterson took over as CEO of the company.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/18/openreach_boss_liv_garfield_quits_bt/

Yet another business advisor told Labor NBN was a dud: reports

Mal the Builder turns endless political war into endless spreadsheet war


Another shot has been fired in an election campaign that has so far continued more than sixty days beyond the conclusion of the ballot, with Australia's new communications minister Malcolm Turnbull calling on the former government to publish a report it received in 2010.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/18/business_advisor_nbn_secret_report/

Boffins warn LIMPWARE takes the pleasure out of cloud

One flaccid node and the whole cloud goes soft


Computer science boffins from the USA have come up with a lovely term to describe under-performing hardware: “Limpware”.…






via The Register - Data Centre: Cloud

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/18/boffins_warn_limpware_takes_the_fun_out_of_cloud/

FIA post-race press conference - United States

An American racing legend - Mario Andretti - met a German racing legend - Sebastian Vettel - on the podium in Austin on Sunday. Read what they, along with Mark Webber and Romain Grosjean, had to say in the official FIA press conference

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2013/11/15272.html

Bottas overjoyed at scoring first F1® points

Williams' Valtteri Bottas has expressed his joy after finally scoring his first points in Formula One racing at the eighteenth time of asking. The Finn came home in eighth place in Austin to score four world championship points and climb above team mate Pastor Maldonado in the drivers' standings

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2013/11/15271.html

Sunday 17 November 2013

Race - selected team and driver quotes

Sebastian Vettel on breaking yet another record; Romain Grosjean on being the meat in a Red Bull sandwich; Sergio Perez on a strong seventh place in front of so many of his countrymen; Valtteri Bottas on scoring his first points in Formula One racing. All 22 drivers and senior team personnel report back on Sunday's action in Austin

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2013/11/15269.html

Race - Vettel dominates in Austin for record win

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel was in commanding form in the United States on Sunday, racing to a record-breaking eighth consecutive victory. The German started from pole, led into the first corner, and only briefly relinquished the lead when he made his sole pit stop. Romain Grosjean came home in a solid second place for Lotus, with the other Red Bull of Mark Webber third

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2013/11/15268.html

Turnbull moves to simplify submarine cable approval process

Attorney-General to sign off new process easing cable-landing regs for little telcos


Australia's communications minister Malcolm Turnbull has proposed cutting the red tape involved in landing new submarine cables in Australia, by adding the Attorney-General's department to the list of bodies that need to sign off on a project.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/17/oz_attorneygeneral_to_get_submarine_cable_signoff/

Saturday 16 November 2013

FIA post-qualifying press conference - United States

Mark Webber said that he put two-and-a-half good sectors of the Austin track together in Q3, whilst Red Bull team mate Sebastian Vettel put together all three. Read what else Webber, Vettel and Lotus's Romain Grosjean had to say in the official FIA post-qualifying press conference

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2013/11/15263.html

Gutierrez and Chilton handed penalties for impeding

Sauber's Esteban Gutierrez and Marussia's Max Chilton have both been handed penalties by race stewards for impeding during the Q1 part of qualifying in Austin on Saturday. Gutierrez - who qualified in 10th place - has been given a 10-place grid penalty for blocking the Williams of Pastor Maldonado and will now start 20th on the grid

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2013/11/15261.html

Qualifying - selected team and driver quotes

Sebastian Vettel on pipping Red Bull team mate Mark Webber to pole; Romain Grosjean on being best of the rest for Lotus; Sauber's Nico Hulkenberg and Williams' Valtteri Bottas on their impressive showings; Heikki Kovalainen on participating in his first qualifying session for nearly a year. All 22 drivers and senior team personnel report back on Saturday's action in Austin

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2013/11/15260.html

Qualifying - Vettel snatches pole from Webber in Austin

Sebastian Vettel left it to the last moment to steal pole position away from Red Bull team mate Mark Webber in qualifying for the 2013 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix in Austin on Saturday afternoon. Webber looked to have sealed P1 on his last run, but moments later Vettel completed a perfect final sector to grab the top spot by just over a tenth of a second. Lotus's Romain Grosjean was third quickest

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2013/11/15256.html

Final practice - Hamilton closes the gap to Red Bull

Yes, the Red Bulls of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber were fastest in Saturday's final practice session in Austin, with the world champion two-tenths of a second ahead of the Australian. But a super lap from Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton right at the end of the hour gave some hope that they might face some opposition this weekend

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2013/11/15254.html

FIA Friday press conference - United States

Team representatives - Sam Michael (McLaren), Rob White (Renault Sport F1), Nick Chester (Lotus), Paddy Lowe (Mercedes), Adrian Newey (Red Bull Racing), James Allison (Ferrari). Q: Three of the gentlemen here are, of course, in new roles, one within the same team, in Nick's case, but in Paddy and James within different teams

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2013/11/15250.html

Friday 15 November 2013

Friday practice - selected team and driver quotes

Following a delayed start to Friday practice at the Circuit of The Americas due to fog and issues with the medical helicopter, the running got underway with Ferrari's Fernando Alonso posting the fastest time in the morning, and Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel in the afternoon. Rookies Daniil Kvyat for Toro Rosso and Caterham's Alexander Rossi both impressed in FP1, whilst Lotus debutant Heikki Kovalainen ended FP2 an impressive fifth. They join other drivers and senior team personnel in reflecting on a disrupted opening day in America

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2013/11/15248.html

Practice Two - Vettel leads Red Bull one-two in Austin

Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber might have kept Red Bull's powder dry in FP1, but in Friday afternoon's second practice session at Austin's Circuit of The Americas they saw off all competition. Vettel set a best time of 1m 37.305 on the medium compound tyre to finish 0.115s ahead of Webber. The Mercedes duo of Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton were third and fourth fastest

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2013/11/15246.html

DropBox puts locks on doors, hopes biz bods will buy the house

Two-step auth, remote wipe, audit logs - what's not to like?


DropBox is tightening up its service for businesses rather than risk getting kicked out by security-conscious CIOs.…






via The Register - Data Centre: Cloud

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/15/dropbox_secures_for_business/

Button handed three-place grid penalty in Austin

Jenson Button has been handed a three-place grid penalty by the race stewards in Austin for overtaking another car during the red flag period in Friday's first practice session. Having reviewed video evidence and spoken to the McLaren driver, the stewards determined Button had breached Appendix H, Article 2.4.4.1 (b)(3) of the FIA International Sporting Code which prohibits overtaking when red flags are shown

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2013/11/15244.html

Practice One - Alonso tops delayed session in Austin

After lengthy delays caused by fog and problems with the medical helicopter, Ferrari's Fernando Alonso emerged with the quickest time in the opening practice session in the United States on Friday. The Spaniard lapped the Circuit of The Americas in Austin in 1m 38.343s to see off the challenge of McLaren's Jenson Button, with Williams' Valtteri Bottas a surprise third fastest

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2013/11/15243.html

FCC to mobe firms: Sort out your unlock policy or we'll do your kneecaps

Regulator tells wireless service providers to give punters unlock codes - or else


The US telco regulator has told mobile firms to come up with a plan allowing customers to receive unlock codes for their phones when their contracts are up – or it will force them to comply.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/15/fcc_unlock_policy_or_else/

Google bigs up Gmail app, leaves room for fat fingers of iPad-fondlers

Slide over, 'appy fatso's in town


Google has updated its crappy Gmail app to make it easier to navigate on Apple's fondleslabs.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/15/google_facelifts_gmail_for_fondleslabs/

Successful back surgery for Raikkonen

Lotus have confirmed that their driver Kimi Raikkonen underwent his planned back surgery yesterday at The University Hospital of Strasbourg in France. According to the doctor in charge, Professor Afshin Gangi, the operation was a complete success. Raikkonen, who moves to Ferrari for next season, elected to miss the final two rounds of 2013 to undergo the surgery in order to solve a recurrent back problem.

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2013/11/15241.html

Murdoch stands between your kids and filth with BSkyB network-level SHIELD

En garde! Smut 'n' violence be gone!


BSkyB's network-level filters are now in place 10 months after it first confirmed plans to follow TalkTalk's strategy that allows subscribers to censor large lumps of the web.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/15/bskyb_installs_network_level_filters/

'Planned maintenance' CRIPPLES nearly HALF of all Salesforce instances in Europe, US

Hours of outages not part of the plan


Botched network maintenance has been blamed for a huge crash at Saleforce’s data centres, taking out customers’ CRM and data services across the US and Europe.…






via The Register - Data Centre: Cloud

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/15/salesforce_massive_outage/

Google spaffs $80m on Sun-powered kit: Calm down, Oracle. It's SOLAR

Something's gotta juice all those servers, and it won't be fossil fuels forever


Google will invest $80m solar-powered plants as it keeps in mind exactly what may end up powering its data centers in future.…






via The Register - Data Centre: Cloud

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/15/google_pledges_80_mil_for_solar_power_push/

Who will recover your data if disaster strikes?

Expect the unexpected


Who here has a disaster recovery plan? OK, that's most of you. How many of you have a disaster recovery plan that isn't "panic"? That's a more reasonable number.…






via The Register - Data Centre: Cloud

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/15/disaster_recovery_cloud_backup/

Thursday 14 November 2013

FIA Thursday press conference - United States

Drivers - Pastor Maldonado (Williams), Jules Bianchi (Marussia), Paul di Resta (Force India), Esteban Gutierrez (Sauber), Sergio Perez (McLaren). Q: Sergio, we know that you're leaving McLaren, because you've told us that, and obviously we learned today who will be replacing you, but could you explain how this came about and particularly the timing? Sergio Perez: First of all, hi everyone

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2013/11/15236.html

FIA press conference schedule - United States

Facing the media in Austin on Thursday will be one man who has just earned a drive with Lotus, and two who have just lost drives with McLaren and Williams respectively. And on Friday it is the turn of senior technical personnel, including Red Bull's Adrian Newey and Mercedes' Paddy Lowe, to answer the questions. The line-ups in full

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2013/11/15235.html

IBM unleashes HUMANITY CRUSHING Watson supercomputer Cloud

Cognitive-app writers wanted


IBM is exposing the super computer brain that crushed puny humans in a TV quiz show to the entire internet.…






via The Register - Data Centre: Cloud

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/14/ibm_opens_watson_to_internet/

Profits ONTAP? Not exactly, but storage giant NetApp can exhale now

Turns to storage software, cloud in a tough market


Whew, that was close: NetApp grew its second quarter revenues by a whisker but bumped up profits nicely as customers continued to buy its gear.…






via The Register - Data Centre: Cloud

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/14/netapp_turning_to_storage_software/

What we learned at our Windows Azure Regcast

Hands-on configuration


On 10 October QA’s Matt Bishop became the latest and the bravest techie to enter El Reg studio for a hands-on session.…






via The Register - Data Centre: Cloud

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/14/azure_training_webcast_summary/

Kovalainen replaces Raikkonen at Lotus for US and Brazil

Former Grand Prix winner Heikki Kovalainen has been announced as Kimi Raikkonen's replacement at Lotus for the final two races of the season. The 32-year-old Finn, who has 109 starts to his name, will partner Romain Grosjean in the United States and Brazil after Raikkonen elected to undergo season-ending back surgery

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2013/11/15234.html

BROADBAND will SAVE THE ECONOMY, shriek UK.gov bods

Superfast network rollout will give us £20 for every quid spent, apparently


The government claimed today that a £1.2bn investment of taxpayer money in the deployment of fast broadband networks would return £20 for every £1 spent from the public purse.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/14/broadband_investment_good_for_economy_government_claims/

McLaren confirm Magnussen and Button for 2014

As expected, McLaren have announced that Danish newcomer Kevin Magnussen will partner Jenson Button in the team's 2014 race line-up. Magnussen, 21, recently won this year's World Series by Renault 3.5 Championship and is a member of McLaren's driver development programme. “I'm absolutely overjoyed to be making my Formula One debut with McLaren,” said Magnussen, who replaces Sergio Perez. “I'll put it simply: this team is the best. It's been my dream to drive for McLaren ever since I was a small kid

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2013/11/15233.html

United States preview - Hamilton ready to take the fight to Vettel

Last year an excellent opportunistic overtaking move on Sebastian Vettel won Lewis Hamilton the inaugural United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of The Americas. The RB9 that has carried the German to his fourth consecutive world championship already this season has proved unbeatable in recent races, but Hamilton will be pushing his Mercedes as hard as he can in Austin as he bids to stop Vettel taking his eighth win in a row

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2013/11/15232.html

Australia crowned F1 in Schools™ World Champions 2013

For the second year in a row, an Australian team have seen off the competition of 37 other student squads to be crowned F1 in Schools World Champions 2013 at the ninth world finals event in Austin. A1 Racing, a team made up of teenage students from two schools 3000 kilometres apart, not only won the coveted Bernie Ecclestone World Champions trophy but also received highly-prized Motorsport and Automotive Engineering Scholarships for City University, London

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2013/11/15231.html

Facebook, the BIGGEST WINDBAG on the planet? It'll blow $300m trying

No fossil fuels needed for new data center (if you don't count its construction) ... bitch


When Facebook's new Iowa data center goes live in 2015, it will be powered by 100 per cent renewable energy, the social network says.…






via The Register - Data Centre: Cloud

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/14/facebook_wind_powered_data_center/

Avere shrugs at bespoke clouds, bolts Glacier onto its NAS range

Why build your own when someone else's works fine?


Avere, the filer accelerator supplier, has integrated cloud storage into its NAS universe, including Amazon's Glacier, with a single file namespace including on-premise and cloud storage.…






via The Register - Data Centre: Cloud

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/14/avere_adds_cloud_storage_nas_universe/

Look at how many ways we RUIN YOUR LIFE, Redmond boasts

Home is where the boss follows you into the bathroom


Just in time for the end-of-year break, Microsoft has reminded people – and more importantly, their employers – just how easy it is for mobile computing to completely ruin anything approaching a normal life.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/14/look_at_how_many_ways_we_ruin_your_life_redmond_boasts/

Google grants cloudy servers IMMORTALITY (during maintenance)

Live migration means even if a bit barn explodes, your VMs will stay up - take that, Amazon


Google has taken a lead on cloud rivals by granting its virtual machines with immortality via a new live migration feature.…






via The Register - Data Centre: Cloud

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/14/google_live_vm_migration/

Microsoft's Office 365 email, Lync cloud in worldwide wobble

Maybe now you'll have to do some work


Users were unable to access Microsoft's Office 365 email and Lync services this evening as Redmond's systems suffered a small global outage.…






via The Register - Data Centre: Cloud

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/14/office_365_cloudy_oopsie/

Microsoft's Office 365 email, Lync go TITSUP in worldwide DNS wobble

Address records for onmicrosoft.com blown away


Onmicrosoft.com, a key domain at the heart of Microsoft's Office 365 cloud, cannot be reached by users around the world due to a DNS cockup. For at least the past hour, attempts to resolve the domain name into a network address fails.…






via The Register - Data Centre: Cloud

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/14/office_365_cloudy_dns_oopsie/

US mobile spectrum sale latest – Sprint tells rivals: Knock yourself out, guys

We don't want the airwaves


Mobile giant Sprint said it will opt out of an upcoming radio spectrum auction which is expected to fetch billions of dollars.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/14/sprint_says_no_thanks_to_us_wireless_bonanza/

Wednesday 13 November 2013

Turnbull takes control of spatial data policy

Remember when NBN Co said its maps were duds? Mal the Builder's in charge now


Australia's Office of Spatial Policy (OSP) has announced it is about to be moved to the Department of Communications, a machinery of government change that will see it depart its current home in the Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/13/nbn_rollout_maps/

Perez to leave McLaren at end of 2013

Sergio Perez has confirmed he will leave McLaren at the end of 2013 after just a single season with the British team. It follows widespread speculation that McLaren are set to replace Perez with Danish youngster Kevin Magnussen for 2014. "First of all, I would like to thank McLaren for giving me the opportunity to be with them this season," said Perez in a statement released on Wednesday

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2013/11/15230.html

Speaking in Tech: Hey next-airline-seat neighbour... stop yakking and go fondle your slab

Airlines OK tablets for takeoff, plus wandering into the Apple Store on launch day






via The Register - Data Centre: Cloud

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/13/speaking_in_tech_episode_84/

Microsoft launches devs into the CLOUD with Visual Studio Online

Hoested services accompany Visual Studio 2013 launch


Timed to coincide with the general availability of Visual Studio 2013 and .Net 4.5.1, Microsoft has launched Visual Studio Online, a new, hosted offering designed for web and application developers.…






via The Register - Data Centre: Cloud

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/13/visual_studio_online_launch/

BT jabbed by ad watchdog AGAIN over fibre deployment fibs

Wrongly claimed Manc biz word was infinitely kitted out for Infinity


BT has been caught fibbing to Manchester residents, after the telecoms giant wrongly claimed that its fibre optic Infinity product was already available throughout the city.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/13/bt_manchester_infinity_ad_slapped_by_asa/

Oracle unzips plan to wave cloud erections at Canadians, Germans

Why not run your databases in the lands of maple syrup and Weißbier?


Oracle has announced plans to open a handful of new data centers to spur its cloud service in North America and Europe.…






via The Register - Data Centre: Cloud

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/13/oracle_bigs_up_cloud_service_with_new_datacenters/

Tuesday 12 November 2013

Boffins look down back of Amazon Web Services, find a SUPERCOMPUTER

Few clicks here, few thousands dollars there - bingo, a 1.21PFLOP beast in the cloud


What runs faster than the majority of the world's supercomputers, costs less, and was used to research organic solar-power cells? The answer is Megarun, a 1.21-petaflop super that was spun up by Cycle Computing in the AMAZON CLOUD.…






via The Register - Data Centre: Cloud

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/12/cycle_computing_supercomputer_reveal/

Servers have arrived at Microsoft's Australian Azure data centre

Sydney's bit barn ghetto lighting up as Redmond plays with expanded IP ranges


Work on Microsoft's promised Australian data centre for its Azure cloud service has reached the stage at which servers are being installed.…






via The Register - Data Centre: Cloud

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/12/microsofts_australian_azure_data_centre_close_to_completion/

You use Minecraft-hoster Shard Gaming? Grab your data RIGHT NOW before it goes completely titsup

Abrupt shutdown burns customer money AND games


Games hosting minnow Shard Gaming has abruptly shut down, terrifying punters who depended on the service and highlighting the risks of off-premises hosting.…






via The Register - Data Centre: Cloud

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/12/shard_gaming_shut_down/

Swish PaaS Bosh: Sons of VMware spin up Pivotal One cloud platform

Don't get locked in to the IaaS layer, get locked in to OUR PAAS LAYER


VMware spin-off Pivotal has released a platform-as-a-service along with a suite of analysis applications, bringing greater competition to a quiet corner of the market.…






via The Register - Data Centre: Cloud

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/12/sons_of_vmware_release_pivotal_one_cloud_platform/

Why build a cloud when you can get one ready made?

Microsoft is source and solution of Trevor Pott's problems


We small business sysadmins don't get the luxury of doing as we are told. If I built all my networks according to all the whitepapers I am given and used the industry best-practice vendors and products, then none of my customers would be able to afford networks at all.…






via The Register - Data Centre: Cloud

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/12/hybrid_cloud/

HDS unveils embiggened array: We HAF vays of making you flash

All-flash array inside storage array


HDS has updated its HAF all-flash array, doubling the size of its proprietary SSDs to 3.2TB and the resulting maximum capacity to 38.4TB. It has picked the week of EMC's XtremIO announcement to release the news.…






via The Register - Data Centre: Cloud

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/12/hds_goes_in_for_haf_measures/

Google makes Gmail EVEN NOISIER, or should that be nosier?

Email service revelation... exposed


Google has added more intrusive buttons to its email service as it continues to try to spread its ad goo across its vast online estate.…






via The Register - Data Centre: Cloud

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/12/google_makes_gmail_even_noisier_or_should_that_be_nosier/

Virgin Media to hike broadband prices by nearly 7 per cent

Our top speed is twice as fast as crappy BT-owned copper networks, says CEO


Virgin Media is set to jack up its broadband prices early next year by nearly 7 per cent.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/12/virgin_media_hike/

Woz: Google Glass will be SO COOL... just like BLUETOOTH

Apple co-founder has his doubts about comedy techno-goggles


Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak has likened Google Glass to a bluetooth headset, and voiced his doubts that anyone will stick with it for more than a few weeks.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/12/woz_google_glass_unwearable_flop/

Facebook hitches skirt, flashes 'Cisco-slaying' open network blade

OCP project heralds death of closed, bespoke gear in mega bit barns


Facebook is leading a charge to displace traditional proprietary networking hardware and software in all of its data centers – potentially threatening the livelihood of large incumbents such as Cisco, Juniper, and Brocade in the wider market.…






via The Register - Data Centre: Cloud

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/12/facebook_cisco_killer_ocp_networking/

Rackspace claws fistful of bucks from Amazon-ruled cutthroat cloud bearpit

Web biz squeezes just $3 extra revenue out of each server


Rackspace is making less money than before on higher revenues as a vicious cloud market takes a cleaver to what was previously a steady business.…






via The Register - Data Centre: Cloud

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/12/rackspace_q3_2013/

5.6 BILLION smartphone subscriptions on Earth by 2019, insists Ericsson

Telecoms electronics biz can't wait to talk about demand for telecoms electronics


The growth in smartphone devices has now overtaken that of conventional handsets, accounting for 55 per cent of new mobile subscriptions in the first nine months of 2013. That's according to a new study by telecoms hardware maker Ericsson.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/12/ericsson_sees_bright_future_for_smartphone_adoption/

NBNCo appoints Simon Hackett, Justin Milne and Patrick Flannigan to board

Mal the builder picks Internode overlord, BigPond man and HFC veteran as non-exec directors


Australia's communications minister Malcolm Turnbull has followed through on his promise to appoint people with experience delivering “linear infrastructure” to the board of NBN Co, the organisation charged with building Australia's National Broadband Network (NBN).…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/12/nbnco_appoints_simon_hackett_justin_milne_and_patrick_flannigan_to_board/

Monday 11 November 2013

Whitmarsh: McLaren considering 'lots' of drivers for 2014

McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh has refused to comment on speculation that McLaren young driver programme member Kevin Magnussen is being lined up to take Sergio Perez's race seat for next season, insisting several drivers - Perez included - are in the running. “Lots of people are being considered,” said Whitmarsh in a Vodafone McLaren Mercedes phone-in

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2013/11/15227.html

Google brazenly strokes its mobile cloud tools just before Amazon shindig

Tries to lure devs into its Chocolate Factory by waving two free utilities


Google has released two mobile development tools to coax app writers into storing data in the ad giant's cloud services.…






via The Register - Data Centre: Cloud

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/11/google_mobile_app_development/

Red Hat halves prices, blackens European skies with OpenShift PaaS

14 new countries get commercial support for PaaS


Red Hat has halved the cost of IT on its OpenShift platform cloud engine and expanded commercial support to cover 14 Eurozone countries.…






via The Register - Data Centre: Cloud

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/11/red_hat_platform_cloud_update/

Massa to partner Bottas at Williams for 2014

Williams have announced that Felipe Massa will drive for the team alongside Valtteri Bottas in 2014. Massa, who has lost his Ferrari seat to Kimi Raikkonen for next season, will replace Pastor Maldonado. “Williams is one of the most successful and important teams of all time in Formula One,” said Massa. “When I was a kid, I always dreamed about racing for Williams, Ferrari or McLaren and I'm glad to be signing with another icon of the sport following my time at Ferrari

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2013/11/15226.html

Kvyat meets Super Licence standard ahead of Austin FP1 run

Toro Rosso have confirmed that their 2014 signing Daniil Kvyat will be able to drive in opening practice at this weekend's 2013 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix as planned, after meeting the requirements for his F1 Super License. Kvyat, recently crowned 2013 GP3 Series champion, covered just over 400 kilometres in a test at Italy's Misano circuit last Friday

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2013/11/15224.html

'F*ck you Google+' vid generates TONS OF AD CASH ... for Google

Complain on YouTube, stay on YouTube, earn TOP DOLLAR for ad giant


A futile attempt to convince Google to reverse its decision to lock its ID-tracking, data-mining Google+ product into YouTube comments has helped to generate more ad revenue on the vid-sharing site.…






via The Register - Data Centre: Cloud

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/11/google_plus_disappointment/

GoDaddy kicks off gTLD land rush with first domain sales

Registrars start handing out new ICANN addresses


Domain dealer GoDaddy has begun the first registrations of domains under the ICANN generic top-level domain (gTLD) programme.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/11/godaddy_kicks_off_gtld_land_rush_with_first_domain_sales/

Microsoft won't run Skype in China - a new JV partner awaits

Chat monitoring to continue inside Great Firewall though


Microsoft will not take full control of its popular Skype service in China after the end of its joint venture with TOM, contrary to media reports.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/11/skype_china_new_jv_microsoft/

Turnbull touts construction resumption in YouTube vid

'No halt in construction' says Mal the Builder, but network will go low-fibre


The ongoing game of trying to divine Malcolm Turnbull's intentions for Australia's National Broadband Network (NBN) by noting the differing language he uses on the few occasions he discusses the project continues, after Australia's minister posted a YouTube video in which he denies suggestions he's been trying to kill construction.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/11/turnbull_touts_construction_resumption_in_youtube_vid/

Sunday 10 November 2013

Raikkonen to miss final two races of 2013 for back surgery

Kimi Raikkonen will miss the final two races of the 2013 season in the USA and Brazil after electing to undergo back surgery, Lotus have confirmed. The 34-year-old Finn, who will drive for Ferrari next year, has suffered with back problems throughout the latter half of the season. Lotus say they will announce his replacement in due course

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2013/11/15223.html

Saturday 9 November 2013

FLIGHT HORROR! Gogo enables in-flight mobile calling

Fisticuffs at 30,000 feet expected


Flying cattle class on most carriers is usually an unpleasant business but it's about to get a lot worse thanks to Gogo, which has figured out a way to let passengers make calls and texts from their mobiles while in flight.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/09/flight_horror_gogo_enables_inflight_mobile_calling/

The TRUTH behind Microsoft Azure's global cloud mega-cock-up

"Machines will fail, software has bugs, people will make mistakes"


Windows Azure suffered a global meltdown at the end of October that caused us to question whether Microsoft had effectively partitioned off bits of the cloud from one another. Now we have some answers.…






via The Register - Data Centre: Cloud

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/08/azure_outage_reveal/

Friday 8 November 2013

Amazon CIA cloud row: US judge slaps down IBM as 'manipulative', inferior

Big Blue thwacked for attempts to game the $600m bidding process


The United States Court of Federal Claims has dished the dirt on why IBM lost out on a strategically crucial CIA cloud contract to Amazon Web Services, and this dirt is pungent.…






via The Register - Data Centre: Cloud

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/08/ibms_cia_cloud_claims_smashed_by_court_opinion/

Facebook profiles go TITSUP! Mystery malady plagues piles of pages

The social network that goes down on its users ... bitch


Facebook users have been left in the dark as a chunk of the social network appears to be in the grip of a technical cock-up.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/08/facebook_flounders_as_mystery_malady_plagues_profiles/

YouTube co-founder either HATES Google+ or his vid account just got HACKED

Jawed 'me at the zoo' Karim is peeved, apparently


One of the original creators of YouTube, Jawed Karim - whose face has been viewed millions of times on the video-sharing website - has apparently complained about having to sign in to Google+ to leave a comment below clips.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/08/jawed_karim_you_tube_google_plus_account/

MYSTERY Google barge - actually a GALLEON with towering SAILS

Or, of course, a demonic temple. Hey - google it


The mysterious Google barge floating in San Francisco Bay is nothing more than a massive tourist attraction, it has been claimed.…






via The Register - Data Centre: Cloud

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/08/google_offers_tourists_a_trip_on_its_barge/

USA preview quotes - Marussia on Austin

Round 18 of the 2013 FIA Formula One World Championship sees the paddock return to the much-lauded Circuit of The Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas, following its hugely successful inaugural race last season. Those involved in the 2013 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix discuss their prospects for the coming weekend

via Formula1.com - Latest Headlines http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2013/11/15220.html

Ging gang cloudy? IBM programmer packs it in for life as an online Scouts badge-tracker

The Last Boy Scout: Job's a good'un


Every week around 400,000 UK Scouts, Cubs, Explorers and Beavers meet and complete activities which contribute to potentially hundreds of badges - but the software which tracks their progress comes from a single enthusiast who saw a problem and created a solution.…






via The Register - Data Centre: Cloud

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/08/baden_powells_legacy_goes_cloudy/

Thursday 7 November 2013

TWITTER CLOSES ... its first day of stock trading with shares up 73 per cent

Profit-free but at least Jean-Luc Picard thinks it's awesome


Twitter and its financial advisors will be patting themselves on the back and counting their bucks after the firm's first day on the stock exchange saw its perceived value rise 73 per cent at the close of trading.…




via The Register - Networks

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/07/twitter_closes_first_days_stock_trading_with_shares_up_73_per_cent/

New plan: Sell Amazon cloud monitor tool, hope Amazon is OK with this

ExtraHop thinks there's gold in them thar virtual mountains


ExtraHop Networks has launched a monitoring product on top of the Amazon cloud and is gambling that Bezos & Co won't produce a cut-price mimic if it finds success.…






via The Register - Data Centre: Cloud

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/07/extrahop_cloud_launch/

Wayback Machine hardware up in FLAMES (but interwebs' DeLorean WAS backed up)

Internet archive building fire toasts $600k of kit


The internet archive charity behind the Wayback Machine has launched an emergency funding drive following a fire which wrecked more half a million dollars worth of equipment.…






via The Register - Data Centre: Cloud

http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/07/wayback_machine_burns_down_to_the_ground/