IN THE PAPERS
In The Papers 30 March
30-03-2009
by Sylvia Leatham
Chinese global spy network uncovered | UCD struggles to recruit researchers
The Irish Times reports that a vast global espionage network, based mainly in China, has been uncovered. An internet-based research group at the Munk Centre for International Studies in Toronto said that spies hacked into computers and stole documents from governments and private offices in 103 countries, including those of the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan exile movement. The researchers dubbed the cyberspy system GhostNet and said they found evidence of hacking into the foreign ministries of Iran, Bangladesh, Latvia, Indonesia, Philippines, Brunei, Barbados and Bhutan. They also discovered a NATO computer being monitored and hacked systems in the embassies of India, South Korea, Indonesia, Romania, Cyprus, Malta, Thailand, Taiwan, Portugal, Germany and Pakistan. They said they had not conclusively been able to detect the identity or motivation of the hackers.
The Irish Independent says that the School of Computer Science and Informatics (CSI) at UCD is finding it difficult to attract enough high-calibre interest to fill 33 research vacancies. Professors at the school have turned to the media to try to fill 23 PhD posts, eight post-doctoral positions, and two research assistant posts. "It may surprise you to hear that we are finding it difficult to fill these positions with suitable candidates," said CSI research officer, Dr Nicola Stokes. "So we are anxious to explore new ways of connecting with potential researchers, both in academia and industry." The school is hoping to reach out to graduates working in ICT-related industries who are thinking about coming back to college to upskill.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Skype plans to release a version of its internet phone software for Apple's iPhone, confirming rumours that circulated last week. The move, set to be announced Tuesday, puts Skype more directly in competition for wireless voice services with network operators such as AT&T and Verizon Wireless. Skype's chief operating officer, Scott Durchslag, said the iPhone product is part of the company's strategic push toward mobile phones. Skype already offers software for smartphones using Microsoft's Windows Mobile operating system. It has already released a version of its software for the Android G1 phone, and says it will introduce a version that works on BlackBerry devices later this year.
The paper also says that former AOL chief Jon Miller is close to taking up a new position overseeing digital strategy at News Corp, according to sources. Miller is expected to help coordinate digital strategies across News Corp's businesses, and he will oversee the company's MySpace social networking site and its investment in Hulu, the online video site.
The Financial Times says that falling ad revenues are laying waste to another wave of internet entrepreneurs as they struggle to satisfy promises of free music to users and cash flows to the labels that own the copyright. Two popular services that allowed free listening, although not downloads, while providing a share of advertising money to record labels, have been forced to close down in recent weeks. SpiralFrog shut down on 19 March after borrowing millions from private investors, while Ruckus, another free service aimed at college students, pulled the plug in early February. Larger rivals are struggling too, raising questions about ad-supported businesses and leading some to blame record labels for demanding millions of dollars in advance royalties, investment stakes, or both.
The Sunday Tribune writes that the story of the portraits of Taoiseach Brian Cowen may have been broken by traditional media, but it was new media that continued to drive it. The apology made by RTE on the Nine O'Clock news on Tuesday and the removal of the report on the paintings from the state broadcaster's website caused blogs to go into overdrive, while social networking site Twitter saw people track the story and react.
The Sunday Times writes that celebrities are using ghost writers to update their Twitter feeds, with rapper 50 Cent one of the first to be outed. The American star's tweets are written by Chris Romero, who looks after 50 Cent's webpages. Britney Spears has also employed staff to write her Twitter updates for her, with others suspected of using publicists and speechwriters instead of posting personal messages.
The same paper writes that Irish Rail has angered customers by bringing in a credit card fee for those buying tickets on its website, without notice. The EUR2 fee is to cover charges levied by its bank, the company claims. Rail users have described the move as "cheeky".
The Sunday Business post writes that tech firm Dell is planning to cut 270 more jobs in Ireland. This is more than the figure of 230 that was initially reported.
The same paper says that E-net, which manages the state-owned fibre optic telecoms network, saw its losses rise last year, despite a 32 percent increase in revenues. The company recorded revenue of EUR7.2 million for the financial year ended April last, but recorded pre-tax losses of EUR1.8 million. This comes after a EUR2.1 million loss the previous year and brings accumulated losses to EUR11.6 million. However, the company said it expects to make net profit on a month-to-month basis soon.
The Sunday Business Post reports that Galway-based medical devices company Crospon is close to launching a new medical imaging device to help diagnose gastroesophageal disorders. The firm has raised EUR500,000 in funding from Enterprise Ireland to finance the last phase of a manufacturing start-up for the EndoFLIP. The firm is in talks with a global distribution partner.
The paper also briefly reports on Sage Ireland's new accounts package aimed at small practitioners and accountants, and OpenJaw's new subsidiary in Norway.
Caped Koala Studios has built a virtual world for kids, combining education and social networking 