NEWS IN BRIEF
Daily Digest 5 November
05-11-2009
by Emmet Ryan
Irish firm launches iPhone app for bands | Smartphone market shows growth
We lead off with news of a new iPhone application aimed directly at music acts, developed by Dublin digital media company DV4. The Band in the Hand application is available free and allows bands to post news, songs, biographies and videos in one application. Irish band Hoarsebox was the first act to avail of the application.
Meanwhile, rather than develop an application, gadget maker Peek has developed a handheld device specifically for Twitter. The smartphone-sized device is initially aimed at the US market and will cost USD99 with a monthly charge of USD7.95. An alternative pricing model allows users to pay USD199 up front and have free access for the lifetime of the product. With several free applications already available for smartphones and indeed regular handsets, it is tough to see whether there will be a market for a device based solely around a Twitter application.
Staying with handheld devices, the smartphone market is weathering the recession, according to research by analyst firm IDC. IDC found that vendors shipped a total of 43.3 million units during the third quarter of 2009, up 4.2 percent from the 41.5 million units shipped in the same period last year and up 3.2 percent from the second quarter of this year.
Spring Design, which makes electronic reading devices similar to the Kindle, is suing bookseller Barnes and Noble. Spring Design claims Barnes and Noble's Nook e-reader illegally copied the design of its Alex reader after the two firms considered a possible partnership. Both devices use a dual-screen format and are based on Google's Android operating system.
Google has started selling a special search product to online retailers. Google Commerce search has been developed as the internet giant continues to hunt down new revenue. The service, which costs USD50,000 a year for subscribers, is designed to perform searches of a retailer's catalogue faster than most bespoke site search products.
UPC Ireland has recorded a EUR1 million or 1.6 percent growth in revenue for the third quarter of 2009. The communications and digital television provider posted revenues of EUR61.6 million for the third quarter of 2009, compared with EUR60.6 million for the same period in 2008. Operating cash flow rose 3.4 percent to EUR24.5 million from EUR23.7 million. This was helped in part by growth of 127 percent in customers of its phone business, rising to 53,000 subscribers.
NEC has developed spectacles that could one day be used to translate what people say. The Tele Scouter product has been designed for use by salespeople, who can have information beamed directly onto their eye. In its initial format Tele Scouter will just send data about a client's history onto the eye of the user, but NEC said it plans to develop a version that could act as a translator. The first model is set to hit Japanese stores in November 2010, with a version that can provide subtitles set to follow in 2011.
The Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators (ALTO) has welcomed the agreement of the Council of Telecoms Ministers and the European Parliament on the EU Communications Reforms package. In a statement ALTO urged the Government to transpose the reform measures into Irish law as soon as possible after the plenary session of the European Parliament approves the reforms. The new measures include the forming of a European Telecoms Authority, which ALTO said would aid in the creation of a single telecoms market.
Finally, a new web-based mental health service for young people has been launched. ReachOut.com is aimed at people aged between 16 and 25 who are experiencing difficulties. The new website will provide young people with information, support and referrals. The Inspire Ireland Foundation, a charitable organisation focused on young people, will run the site, which will host over 300 factsheets and stories covering major issues that young people experience including depression, anxiety, relationship difficulties, and making the transition to college.
Caped Koala Studios has built a virtual world for kids, combining education and social networking 