NEWS IN BRIEF
Daily Digest 10 August
10-08-2009
by Emmet Cole
Toshiba joins Blu-ray camp | Tr.im not sticking around
Electronics giant Toshiba has applied to join the Blu-ray Disc Association. Toshiba spearheaded development of the competing HD DVD format but has finally turned to the "Blue Side" in the battle for control of the entertainment universe. Toshiba officially gave up its HD-DVD business in February 2008, but this move -- although largely symbolic -- probably means the end for HD DVD. Toshiba also announced that it is developing Bu-ray players and notebook PCs integrating Blu-ray drives.
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that European Union regulators missed vital evidence when they ruled against chip giant Intel (to the tune of USD1.45 billion) in its recent antitrust case against AMD. According to the paper, European Union ombudsman, P. Nikiforos Diamandouros is set to deliver a report to the European Commission accusing it of 'maladministration', amid claims that the Commission did not formally record an account of a meeting it had with a senior Dell executive, who rated the performance of AMD chips as "very poor".
Mike Zafirovski, the chief executive of bankrupt telecom equipment maker Nortel Networks is to step down immediately and its board will shrink from nine directors to three as the company moves to shed major assets. Nortel posted a quarterly loss of USD274 million (or USD0.55 a share), which it attributed to big reorganisation costs and plummeting sales figures. The company filed for protection from creditors in January and has since started selling its major business lines, including a USD1.13 billion contract to sell wireless assets to Sweden's Ericsson. Nortel's enterprise unit has been the target of a USD475 million bid from Avaya.
Tr.im has been closed by developer Nambu Network after the company failed to find a buyer for the URL-shortening service. Tr.im is one of many sites offering ways to convert lengthy, conventional URLs into shorter, more manageable links. The services are especially aimed at Twitter users who don't fancy including long URLs in their 140-character limit messages. Nambu criticised Twitter's preference for the bit.ly link shortening service claiming that it had had a negative effect on Tr.im's business and growth potential. Tr.im is no longer accepting new URLs but is expected to continue to redirect links until at least the end of this year.
For the second year running, University of Limerick is using Irish-owned Saadian's mobile messaging technology to provide a welcome pack to 3,000 new students. "We are now using Saadian's Business2Mobile text messaging technology to welcome students who have received a CAO place in our university," said Joachim Barnett, Office Manager, Undergraduate Admissions Office, UL. "The text message includes a web link which brings them to the orientation website with details on the orientation programme and they can also start organising campus accommodation early if needed." UL has been using Saadian technology since 2008. As well as the welcome messages, the university also uses SMS to communicate with guides who are giving campus tours to new students, while the Access Office issues text messages to students about scholarship application deadlines, meetings with lecturers, and appointment reminders.
Responding to earlier media reports that large numbers of students are abandoning science and technology courses after their first year, Engineers Ireland has said students must appreciate the emerging engineering job opportunities in Ireland. John Power, Engineers Ireland director general also called for incentives to improve teaching standards in maths and science. Engineers Ireland is the professional members' body for qualified engineers in Ireland.
Caped Koala Studios has built a virtual world for kids, combining education and social networking 