In The Papers 12 January

12-01-2009

by Sylvia Leatham

Qualcomm to enter netbook chip market | Microsoft invests in touchscreen tech

The Irish Examiner reports that Tanaiste Mary Coughlan has been urged to proceed with plans to travel to Limerick in the wake of Dell's decision to shed 1,900 jobs in the city. "I feel very strongly that the Tanaiste should come to Limerick in the next few days to hear from workers who are to lose their jobs and from all the different agencies who will help the task force which is being set up," said Fianna Fail TD Niall Collins. However, Dell sources have indicated that the company feels a visit to meet with workers would not be helpful given the media attention it would attract. Separately, it has emerged that Mike Cannon, who was brought in by Michael Dell to slash costs, is to depart Dell in the next few months with a USD12 million golden handshake.

The paper also says that a simple way to test fresh milk for infection has won teenagers John D O'Callaghan and Liam McCarthy the title of BT Young Scientists 2009, and the application could also become a commercial success. The judges were impressed by the apparatus the students devised to allow farmers test milk for somatic cells, which can indicate infection in a cow. The students discovered that mixing a small amount of washing-up liquid with a fresh sample of milk can help show the somatic cell content. As well as earning Kinsale Community School in Cork the top prize, the project also won a special award from the Patents Office, which is made to the project that best demonstrates the use of technology in new or improved applications.

The Irish Times also reports on the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition, saying that Synge Street teacher Jim Cooke is to retire after many years of achievement in the competition. Cooke's students have achieved two outright Young Scientist wins, two runners-up and numerous category prizes since 2003.

The paper also says that Irish people travelling to the US now need to obtain online travel authorisation before they depart. The new Electronic System for Travel Authorization (Esta) requires travellers to register their personal details at least 72 hours before departure, replacing the existing in-flight visa waiver system. Visitors without clearance can be refused the right to board US-bound aircraft in Ireland. US immigration authorities say over 99 percent of applicants receive clearance, most of them instantly. Those refused must apply for a visa, which takes time. The system is available at https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta.

The paper also notes that residents of Dunmore East in Waterford have won a three-year battle to have a mobile phone mast removed from the roof of their local shop.

According to the Financial Times, chipmaker Qualcomm plans to challenge Intel for dominance in the fast-growing market for netbooks. Intel's Atom chips power most netbooks, but Paul Jacobs, chief executive of mobile phone chip firm Qualcomm, expects its Snapdragon to break that trend this year. However, Jacobs noted that he also expected Intel to attempt a push into the market for smartphones.

The Wall Street Journal says that Microsoft is investing in touchscreen technology for PC screens that could eventually replace the computer mouse. N-trig Ltd, an Israeli start-up that makes touch-sensing screen hardware, is expected to announce that Microsoft is the largest investor in a USD24 million round of funding that also includes several venture-capital firms. Microsoft is making the investment to help N-trig quickly adapt its technology to work well with Windows 7. The size of the Microsoft investment was not disclosed.

The Sunday Tribune reports that the head of Fujitsu in Ireland, Regina Morgan, has written to the Taoiseach with some suggestions to help get Ireland through the current economic crisis. The chief executive has suggested that the country adopt Japanese "lean" business methods, which could help it regain competitiveness. Under the Japanese way, processes are simplified and waste is reduced. Morgan says the methods could change the public sector. Fujitsu Ireland employs over 600 people.

The same paper reports that Irish shoppers are being charged higher prices than their UK counterparts for goods in some online stores, due to currency fluctuations. The price differentials are occurring on sites selling everything from ferry journeys to electrical equipment and are costing euro shoppers significantly more. Some stores allow users to buy in sterling, which would result in large savings, but shoppers are unaware of the loophole. Stena Line and Play.com are two of the sites named by the article as having significant price differences.

The Sunday Tribune reports that the IDA is to begin talks with Dell to see if the firm will have to pay back some of the State grants it received. According to the IDA, Dell has received EUR53.5 million since 1990 in job-support grants. IDA investment rules state that multinationals have to pay back the grants if workers are made redundant within a set period -- seven years in the case of Dell. If employees had eight years of service before being made redundant, the IDA will not seek the return of the money.

The same paper reports that software firm Ammeon grew its turnover by almost 75 percent in 2007. The company, which offers consulting services to telecoms firms such as T-Mobile and O2, recorded turnover of EUR6.2 million for the year, up from EUR3.6 million in 2006. Its pretax profit rose to EUR171,000 in 2007, compared with a loss of EUR402,000 in 2006.

The same paper writes that institutes of technology in Ireland are outperforming universities in innovation, carrying out more projects under the Innovation Voucher Scheme. Figures from Enterprise Ireland put Carlow Institute of Technology top of the list with 29 completed, while Waterford IT comes in second. The scheme is designed to help small businesses drive innovation, allowing them to apply for vouchers of EUR5,000 to fund research in organisations on their behalf. More than 200 projects have been completed under the scheme so far.

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