Video: Apple launches the iPad
Apple chief executive Steve Jobs shows off the much-hyped iPad, which he hopes will come to define a new category of wireless device
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Video: Apple launches the iPad
US regulators sue Intel over antitrust allegations
US regulators today launched a legal action against Intel, amid fresh accusations that the computer chip maker deliberately stifled competition. The announcement by the Federal Trade Commission, which oversees the enforcement of competition law in the US, marks the latest in a series of worldwide antitrust cases against the Californian technology company - and is the most significant action taken by the regulator since it took Microsoft to court in the 1990s. The FTC said that its decision to sue Intel comes after a long string of allegations that the company forced and coerced computer manufacturers to use its technologies instead of those made by rival companies. "Intel has engaged in a deliberate campaign to hamstring competitive threats to its monopoly," said Richard Feinstein, who heads up the FTC's bureau of competition. "It's been running roughshod over the principles of fair play and the laws protecting competition on the merits. The commission's action today seeks to remedy the damage that Intel has done to competition, innovation and, ultimately, the American consumer." Among the allegations are claims that the company offered discounts to customers like HP, Dell and IBM on the condition that they drop products from its main rival, AMD. The company is also accused of deliberately deceiving its customers and "smothering" potential competitors. Intel has responded by calling the case "misguided" and suggesting that some of the allegations had been added after earlier negotiations to settle the case out of court had reached an impasse. "The FTC's case is misguided," it said in a statement. "It is based largely on claims that the FTC added at the last minute and has not investigated. In addition, it is explicitly not based on existing law but is instead intended to make new rules for regulating business conduct
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US regulators sue Intel over antitrust allegations
US cyber security is top of the agenda
Barack Obama made an initial review of US cyber security, but pressure is growing for the president to take further action For the past month or so a curious game has been going on in the world of rumour and uncertainty that passes for the intelligence community. At the heart of it is an attempt to force the US president, Barack Obama, to put cyber security back to the top of his agenda and to usher in increased monitoring of the internet. Despite an initial promise of action and a demand for a report on the risks to the US technology infrastructure to be on his desk in 60 days, little in policy terms has been heard since. Even more frustratingly for the computer-security community, Obama has also not filled the much-trumpeted post of cyber czar . Melissa Hathaway, the White House's senior acting director for cyberspace and the author of Obama's 60-day review of cyber policy , had been widely tipped for the position – but four months ago she resigned , citing personal reasons for her decision. Damage limitation This appears to have resulted in a turf war between the US department of homeland security, the military and the intelligence community as each compete for responsibility for the issue. Now, in what is being seen as an attempt to jog Obama's memory, stories about the US's vulnerability to cyber attack , the threat it poses to its economy and the potential rise of cyber-terrorism have begun to appear on an almost daily basis. Senior intelligence officials are suggesting that the US faces a massive risk to its power grid and communications infrastructure – claiming that if current vulnerabilities are exploited there would be enormous economic damage to the US. "There has been a heightened awareness of our vulnerability to cyber attacks in the US and that has been building for over a year. People are saying, 'Look at Lehman Brothers' – if someone had taken out another banking website on the same day it would have been the straw that broke the camel's back," says Tom Reilly, a US director of ArcSight, a company set up by the investment arm of the CIA. It draws 30% of its revenue from monitoring critical infrastructure for dangerous activity for US federal government agencies and Nato. On the subject of the cyber czar, Reilly says: "There is now a lot of impatience … People are looking for an individual to be appointed to set policy direction, and without that framework in place there is the possibility of duplication by agencies." The potential for exploiting the fragile confidence in financial institutions has not been lost on businesses. "The recession has been a driver in awareness," says William Beer, director of information security practice for PricewaterhouseCoopers. "For the first time, critical infrastructure vulnerability has made it onto the risk register
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US cyber security is top of the agenda
Concerns over Obama’s delayed cybersecurity chief
The White House has yet to appoint a head of cybersecurity, more than five months after President Obama announced that protecting America's computer systems was a "national security priority". The slow progress has left some senior figures concerned that government officials are not taking the threat seriously - despite a string of high-profile attacks on America's internet infrastructure. The role, which is meant to draw together different areas of the nation's cyberdefence for the first time, was announced earlier this year as part of an attempt to coordinate organisations including the National Security Agency, Department of Homeland Security and the Pentagon. In May, President Obama said that it was vital to establish a White House office responsible for coordinating cybersecurity because it was "one of the most serious economic and national security challenges we face". "Cyberspace is real, and so is the risk that comes with it," he said at the time. "From now on, our digital infrastructure will be treated as a strategic asset." The move came after a series of revelations about failures in online security that had potential impact across the US and Europe. One report suggested Chinese hackers had successfully infiltrated the system that operates the US electrical grid , while others suggested that computer criminals had stolen valuable documents relating to the military's £182bn Joint Strike Fighter programme - which is being jointly funded by the UK government.
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Concerns over Obama's delayed cybersecurity chief
Windows 7 set to break retail records
Microsoft's latest Windows 7 operating system beats Harry Potter to become biggest-grossing pre-order in Amazon's history Windows 7 has become the biggest-grossing pre-order in Amazon's history – worth even more than the most recent JK Rowling book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. "The launch of Windows 7 has superseded everyone's expectations," the managing director of Amazon.co.uk, Brian McBride, said. "Demand is still going strong." Millions of computer users will be getting their first taste of Microsoft's latest operating system tomorrow, when Windows 7 goes on sale worldwide. The American software company is pinning high hopes on the launch, which aims to be a hit with PC owners and erase the problems suffered by its predecessor, Windows Vista, when it hit the market in 2007. Vista came in for heavy criticism when it was plagued with problems soon after its launch, but signs are encouraging for Windows 7 so far. Reviews have been largely positive, and high street retailers say they anticipate strong sales of the software. PC World is opening its shop in London's Tottenham Court Road at midnight for the launch, offering customers the chance to get their hands on the upgrade and receive advice on how to make the most of the software's new features. The makeover promises a string of upgrades and improvements for Windows users, including a more streamlined interface, better performance, and reduced power requirements, which means laptops with better battery life. It also incorporates new features that work with touchscreen displays – a move the company hopes will spur PC makers to develop new computers and all-in-one systems that take advantage of the growing interest in multitouch interfaces inspired by mobile phones. The success of Windows 7 is being seen as crucial for Microsoft, which is pumping millions of dollars into an advertising campaign and other initiatives aimed at boosting sales and awareness. Among them is a sponsored half-hour TV show written by Seth Macfarlane, the creator of American television series Family Guy, which the company hopes will broaden its appeal with younger consumers when it is broadcast in the US in November. Microsoft even plans to open its own chain of branded shops to help push sales of Windows 7 and other products – starting with two in the US - mirroring the move that has helped propel rival Apple to stellar success in recent years
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Windows 7 set to break retail records
Computer hacker Gary McKinnon loses fight to stand trial in UK
McKinnon refused supreme court appeal against extradition to US on charges of breaking into military networks Computer hacker Gary McKinnon lost his long battle to stand trial in the UK today when he was refused permission to appeal to the supreme court against extradition to the US on charges of breaking into the Pentagon's military networks. The court decided the case did not raise "points of law of general public importance", which are neccessary if a case is to be pursued at the higher level. The decision extinguishes McKinnon's legal options in the UK, but his lawyers said they would now consider applying to the European court of human rights in Strasbourg. Giving the court's decision, Lord Justice Stanley Burnton, who heard McKinnon's latest appeal earlier this year with Mr Justice Wilkie, said extradition was "a lawful and proportionate response" to his alleged offending. He said McKinnon would be unlikely to succeed with his claim that extradition would breach his right to a private and family life, under Article 8 of the European Convention of Human Rights. Nor did the court think that extradition to the US would be a breach of his right not to be subjected to inhuman or degrading treatment under Article 3. McKinnon's mother, Janis Sharp, said the decision was "devoid of humanity". "No other country in the world would so readily offer its citizens to the US as sacrificial lambs merely to safeguard a 'special political relationship'. "To use my desperately vulnerable son in this way is despicable, immoral and devoid of humanity." McKinnon's solicitor, Karen Todner, said the trial was having a "devastating" effect on the 43-year-old's health. "He is a highly vulnerable man in a very fragile state and this is a huge blow to him and his family," she said. "Why is our government so inhumane as to allow this to happen to someone, particularly someone with Asperger's, a form of autism? This is the wholesale destruction and bullying of a small individual by the United States and now our own government. "Our extradition treaty with the US is unfair and prejudicial to UK citizens and should be repealed or amended immediately." Todner said every further avenue, including the European court, would be explored. Sabina Frediani, campaigns co-ordinator for Liberty, which supported McKinnon's case, said: "Never were justice and the law so out of sync as in the case of Britain's rotten extradition arrangements. People up and down the country are rightly horrified by the way that a vulnerable man has been sold down the river when he should have been protected and tried here at home." She said Liberty would support any appeal to the European court and would work to ensure parliament "faces up to its responsibilities to amend the act"
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Computer hacker Gary McKinnon loses fight to stand trial in UK
US government to probe IBM tactics
• US government to investigate anti-competitive behaviour • Software companies frustrated over compatibility issues The US justice department has begun an investigation into allegations of anti-competitive behaviour by IBM, the sprawling multinational technology company that dominates the market for powerful mainframe computers used by large organisations. Nicknamed "big blue" for its vast scale, IBM has been criticised for years by software companies who complain that the firm makes it difficult for them to produce products compatible with its technology. An industry group representing plaintiffs, the Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA), said its members had received formal "civil investigative demands" from the justice department in recent weeks seeking information on IBM. "The wording isn't narrow – it's very widely drawn," said the association's chief executive, Edward Black
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US government to probe IBM tactics
EU publishes evidence to back up €1bn Intel fine
European regulators have published evidence of anti-competitive behaviour by Intel, as arguments continue over the record €1.06bn (£960m) fine levied against the computer chip maker. In May, the European Commission announced that its long investigation into Intel's business practices would result the largest fine ever doled out in a European antitrust case . The Silicon Valley company rejected the findings - suggesting bluntly that "the decision is wrong" - and launched an appeal, leading the two groups to enter into a public relations war against each other. The latest barrage came after the commission took steps to release more detailed evidence of the case against Intel, delivering what spokesman Jonathan Todd said was a description of "precisely how Intel broke the law". The documents assembled by investigators include internal communications showing that between 2002 and 2005, Intel offered so-called "conditional rebates" to major computer manufacturers including Dell, Hewlett Packard and Lenovo - discounts for carrying their products, as long as they cut back on business with Intel's chief competitor, AMD. In addition, Intel was also shown to have offered a similar deal to Media Saturn, the German retailer that is Europe's biggest supplier of home computers. On top of this, the commission said it had also uncovered a number of what it termed "naked restrictions" - payments made to block dealings with AMD, and threats that Intel would cut back if continued with plans to launch computers built using AMD's technologies. The deals resulted in major manufacturers including HP and Acer dropping or restricting the sale of rival machines. One email from 2004 explained how HP executives had been careful not to endanger payments from Intel aimed at restricting where AMD's products could be sold. "You can NOT use the commercial AMD line in the channel in any country, it must be done direct," it said. "If you do and we get caught (and we will), the Intel money (each month) is gone (they would terminate the deal). The risk is too high." The commission said it hoped that publishing the documents would show that its decision against Intel was correct, and that the decision to impose the record fine was justified. "These practices harmed consumers throughout the European Economic Area," said the commission in a statement
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EU publishes evidence to back up €1bn Intel fine
Dell stung by $4m penalty over fraudulent ads
American computer manufacturer Dell has agreed to pay $4m (£2.4m) to settle accusations that it misled customers and tricked them into paying for expensive products and services. The case - brought by the New York attorney general's office - goes back to 2007, when complaints emerged about the way the company was advertising cheap financing and warranties. According to state officials, the Texan PC maker often advertised zero interest credit deals for new computers before denying the customer's application and then encouraging them to buy at a far higher rate - often more than 20% interest. This tactic - described as a "bait and switch" by attorney general Andrew Cuomo - was accompanied by regular failures to provide the support services that customers had paid for; sometimes leaving them hundreds of dollars out of pocket for warranties that were effectively worthless. Dell denied the allegations, but last year the New York Supreme Court ruled against the company - leading yesterday's announcement of a deal with Cuomo's office. As part of the settlement, Dell did not admit to any wrongdoing, but said it would pay $4m in penalties, costs and as restitution to affected customers - as well as agreeing to change its advertising practices. Cuomo said was a victory for consumers, and attacked Dell's "deceptive and illegal business practices". "Going forward, this deal means that Dell will have to clearly and fully disclose the terms and conditions of their products and services to avoid this kind of fraud at the consumer's expense," he said in a statement . Dell Computing Law and technology United States Advertising Bobbie Johnson guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
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Dell stung by $4m penalty over fraudulent ads
Gary McKinnon: Pentagon hacker’s worst nightmare comes true
The autistic UFO conspiracy theorist has been extradited, charged with the biggest US military hack of all time. 'I sit up all night thinking about jail,' he says For the past seven years, in bedsits in Crouch End and Bounds Green, north London, the Pentagon hacker and UFO buff Gary McKinnon has – according to his family and friends – been suffering one long anxiety attack. He's prone to regular fits of fainting and thoughts of suicide. He's written that he can't look himself in his eyes when he's shaving in case the sight of himself sets the spiral off. He jumps out of his skin if someone touches him by surprise. I've met him sporadically during these years and can vouch that he's a chainsmoking, terrified shell. "I'm walking down the road and I find I can't control my own legs," he has told me. "And I'm sitting up all night thinking about jail. About male rape. An American jail. I'm only a little nerd … My life is like walking through a world you know is probably going to end." And yesterday, at 10am, it did. The high court ruled that extradition to America was "a lawful and proportionate response to Gary McKinnon's offending". It is unlikely that anything will stop it now. How did he become, in the eyes of US prosecutors, the man who committed "the biggest US military hack of all time"? And does he deserve his fate? He was born in Glasgow in 1966, but grew up in London with his mother Janis and stepfather Wilson, a UFO fan
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Gary McKinnon: Pentagon hacker's worst nightmare comes true