IN THE PAPERS
In the papers 5 December
05-12-2007
by Sylvia Leatham
Warrior to become Cisco CTO | Dell to relaunch share buy-back programme
The Irish Times reports that digital camera maker Andor Technology is developing cameras that will be used by security firms and the military for the detection of hazardous chemicals, after winning two design contracts worth more than USD1 million. Read the details of the Belfast-based firm's financial results, as reported by ENN on Tuesday.
The paper also says that Irish teenagers are among the top performers in the OECD when it comes to reading and literacy, but their ranking in maths is continuing to cause concern. Read the full story on ENN.
The Irish Examiner says that the Data Protection Commissioner will consider legal action against broadcasting firm Sky if it does not withdraw changes to how it shares the personal information of its 500,000 Irish subscribers. The data watchdog first contacted Sky last Friday after it received about 10 complaints from subscribers over a letter Sky sent out. The notice told subscribers that Sky had "reviewed" the way it used their personal information and would share that information with other companies in the British Sky Broadcasting group as well as with third parties, including credit reference agencies and marketing and sales firms.
The Financial Times reports that PC maker Dell plans to spend up to USD10 billion on share buy-backs in coming quarters. While Dell declined to provide a specific time-frame for the buy-back programme, it said its first share purchases would begin this week. The move will mark the first time that the struggling computer maker has bought its own shares since accounting problems led it to suspend its buy-back programme in August of last year.
The paper also notes that network equipment giant Cisco Systems has announced that Padmasree Warrior, former technology chief of Motorola, is to become its chief technology officer. Warrior, a 23-year Motorola veteran, announced her departure from the US handset maker on Monday. She will fill a post that has been vacant at Cisco since 2005. Cisco said it had decided to re-establish the CTO role as part of an effort to focus the company's technology strategy as it attempted to take advantage of a new generation of internet technologies.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Google, AT&T and Verizon Wireless are among the bidders expected to take part in a major auction of US government airwaves next month. The two largest cable companies -- Comcast and Time Warner Cable -- said they would not bid in the auction. The Federal Communications Commission intends to sell off some 62 megahertz of some of the most powerful spectrum ever to be made available to the commercial wireless industry. Monday was the deadline for bidders to formally notify the FCC of their intent to participate in the auction of communications spectrum. The auction is set to begin on 16 January.
Caped Koala Studios has built a virtual world for kids, combining education and social networking 