IN THE PAPERS
In the papers 3 January
03-01-2008
by Sylvia Leatham
Anti-treaty group accuses government of bias on referendum website | Drivers using mobiles cause traffic hold-ups, says study
The Irish Independent reports that telecoms firm Imagine grew its Irish turnover by 40 percent in 2007 and has now moved into profitability, according to the company's commercial director, Brian O'Donohoe. The telco endured an operating loss margin of 30 percent in 2005 and has yet to file accounts for 2006. In a statement, Imagine announced a 40 percent jump in 2007 sales, to EUR55 million. "Last year's productivity was well ahead of 2006 as we reduced our staff count by 50 at the same time as we made processes and services more efficient," said O'Donohoe.
The paper also says that the Government has been accused of using a website to provide biased referendum information on the Lisbon Treaty. Following a Supreme Court ruling, the State is bound to observe a strictly neutral stance in offering referendum publicity. But Declan Ganley, of the anti-treaty group Libertas, said the presence of "blatantly political messaging" on the Government's information website, www.reformtreaty.ie, was an abuse. Libertas and Sinn Fein say the newly launched website is being used to promote a Yes vote in the referendum on the treaty.
The Irish Examiner notes that Enterprise Ireland is setting up a fund to help firms improve their competitiveness, as reported by ENN on Wednesday.
According to the Financial Times, Lenovo is entering the global consumer PC market with a new range of laptop and desktop machines. The Chinese PC maker has previously focused on the business market outside China since acquiring the IBM PC unit three years ago. The new machines, which will be sold under the Lenovo IdeaPad and IdeaCentre sub-brands, are aimed at mid- to high-tier buyers and their introduction marks a big strategic shift for the firm.
The paper also says that music downloads in the UK hit a record 2.94 million in the last week of 2007, double the level of 2006. The figure is an increase of 100.2 percent on the 1.47 million tracks purchased online in the last week of 2006. The total number of downloads for 2007 was 77.6 million -- a quarter higher than the 52.5 million total for the year before. Figures released by BPI on Wednesday also showed a healthy increase in year-on-year sales of DVDs, particularly in feature films for both adults and children.
Separately, the paper reports that Play.com, an online retailer that sells DVDs, books and computers, has said a record fourth quarter helped its annual sales rise 21 percent to STG340 million. Sales grew 24 percent in the fourth quarter, Play.com's strongest quarter since it was founded a decade ago. The group, however, did not disclose absolute fourth-quarter sales figures or annual profits.
The Wall Street Journal says that drivers talking on mobile phones are probably making commuting times longer, a new study concludes. US motorists chatting on the phone, even with hands-free devices, drive about two miles per hour slower on commuter-clogged roads than people not on the phone, and they don't keep up with the flow of traffic, according to study author David Strayer, a psychology professor at the University of Utah. "The distracted driver tends to drive slower and have delayed reactions," said Strayer.
Caped Koala Studios has built a virtual world for kids, combining education and social networking 