In The Papers 10 September

10-09-2008

by Sylvia Leatham

Junior Cert results show positive signs for maths | Google aims to improve privacy policy

The Irish Times reports that the Junior Cert results, published on Wednesday morning, show some encouraging trends, amid recent concern about the performance of students in maths and science in the Leaving Cert. At just under 3 percent, the failure rate for higher level maths is the lowest since the syllabus changed in 2003, while the percentage of candidates gaining an A, B or C grade is up, with almost four out of every five students getting an honour in the subject. The picture in ordinary level maths is more mixed, however. More than three-quarters of students gained an A, B or C grade, a marginal increase on last year. Close to 7 percent failed the exam, compared with just over 2 percent in 2004. Minister for Education Batt O'Keeffe said it was heartening to see the number of students taking higher level maths had increased to nearly 43 percent of the overall numbers taking the subject.

The paper also says that the laying of the first transatlantic cable to Valentia Island, Kerry, is an example to all those trying to solve global warming and the US energy crisis, a ceremony to mark the 150th anniversary of the event was told. Cyrus Field IV, whose great-great grandfather, Cyrus West Field, set up the company that laid the cable, said the project showed what was possible when people used technology to overcome seemingly insurmountable problems. He was speaking at an event at the New York Historical Society in Manhattan, organised by the Hibernia Atlantic cable company, to commemorate the completion of the cable from Newfoundland to Valentia Island in 1858.

The same paper reports that internet search giant Google has halved the amount of time it stores personal data gathered from its users' web surfing habits, a move aimed at improving its privacy policies. Google used to store such data for 18 months, but has now trimmed that duration to nine months. Nicole Wong, Google's deputy general counsel, told a meeting of computer industry privacy experts at Microsoft's Silicon Valley offices that her company planned to "anonymise" the computer addresses of its users more quickly. "We're significantly shortening our previous 18-month retention policy to address regulatory concerns and to take another step to improve privacy for our users," Google officials said in a blog post.

The paper also notes that Dublin firm eSpatial Solutions has registered a judgment of EUR350,000 against a company co-owned by its founder. The firm registered the judgment against Dublin company Acquis, where Liam McGeown is a director and shareholder, after he failed to pay the six-figure sum, as he had agreed in settlement of a legal action by eSpatial. McGeown, who founded eSpatial in 1997, agreed to pay the sum last October in settlement of a High Court case taken against him by eSpatial over a non-compete clause he signed in 2003 when he left the company.

The Irish Independent reports that Environment Minister John Gormley has urged that the development of green technologies, including wave, wind and solar power, should be a priority for Ireland as it faces into difficult economic times. The global "clean-tech" sector is currently worth EUR284 billion and is projected to rise to EUR1.3 trillion within a decade, he told an Enviromental Protection Agency conference. "To have a sustainable economy, we must have a sustainable environment. Climate change is arguably the biggest issue facing Ireland. It won't be tackled unless fundamental changes are made," he said.

The paper also reports on the launch of an energy-monitoring device called the Wattson. Read more on this on ENN.

The same paper says that Irish scientists will play a big part in the Large Hadron Collider experiment in Geneva, Switzerland, as reported by ENN on Tuesday.

The paper also notes that Dell founder Michael Dell bought shares worth USD100 million in the company last week after the PC maker's stock plunged, following disappointing earnings. Dell, who is chairman and chief executive officer of the company, bought shares worth about USD71.5 million on 4 September and USD28.5 million on 5 September, according to a regulatory filing. As of 1 July, Dell had a 12.8 percent stake in the company, making him the biggest shareholder.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Apple chief Steve Jobs on Tuesday announced a revamped line of iPods and a truce with NBC Universal, but much attention remained focused on his health. Jobs began his speech at the San Francisco showcase by showing a slide quoting Mark Twain: "The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated." Jobs announced a reconciliation with NBC Universal, which removed its TV shows from Apple's iTunes Store last autumn. A deal hammered out between the companies includes greater flexibility in the way downloads are priced. Jobs also showed a new design for the iPod Nano, with a curved aluminium case and a bigger screen and much larger storage capacity. Apple also cut the starting price on its iPod Touch.

The paper also says that BlackBerry maker Research In Motion is moving to increase its share of the US market with its first clamshell phone, the most popular format in North America. RIM unveiled a flip version of its streamlined BlackBerry Pearl that will be available this autumn. The move adds to RIM's tactics to extend its reach beyond its core of business users to the fashion-conscious consumer market. BlackBerry devices have nearly doubled their share of the global market for smartphones during the past year.

The Financial Times says that Vodafone's new chief executive, Vittorio Colao, has started to overhaul his senior management team and signalled a renewed assault on costs. Michel Combes, a former senior finance executive at France Telecom, is to become head of Vodafone's European operations next month. Vodafone emphasised Combes' cost-cutting credentials, which were honed at France's leading telecoms company. In a further sign of cost cutting, Vodafone's Terry Kramer, head of human resources, is to become strategy and business improvement director, with a brief to look for efficiency gains.

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