IN THE PAPERS
In The Papers 23 November
23-11-2009
by Sylvia Leatham
Atom smasher back on track | Dublin flood maps delayed
The Irish Times reports that the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at the European nuclear research centre Cern has resumed operations, 14 months after a costly malfunction put the atom smasher out of action. The LHC began sending beams of broken-up atoms racing around the collider's 27km ring over the weekend. Its purpose is to send two beams around the ring in opposite directions at close to the speed of light and then smash the particles together in a tremendous release of energy that teaches us about the fundamental structure of matter. Researchers from University College Dublin will be among those analysing the results of these collisions.
The paper also reports on the Galway Science and Technology Exhibition, where bearded dragons, the physics behind circus skills and experiments in 'supermarket science' absorbed the attention of thousands of schoolchildren over the weekend. At least 10,000 children attended the 12th annual event in Salthill, the largest science fair of its type in the State. NUI Galway, Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, the Marine Institute and a number of multinationals such as heart-stent manufacturer Medtronic also participated in the event.
The Irish Independent says that a 3D map of Dublin which could save the city from severe flooding is still in the planning process -- 15 months after torrential downpours caused almost EUR100 million worth of damage. The map would show where water flows on Dublin's streets in heavy rain and would allow officials to plan the positioning of gullies and drains in future so the water could drain away more quickly. Despite assurances last year to create the state-of-the-art mapping system, the process is still at the tendering stage. Dublin City Council has admitted that the existing drainage system "cannot cope with the extreme volume of rain that fell" on 9 August 2008.
The paper also reports that business networking firm LinkedIn has registered two Dublin companies, potentially signalling plans to establish an Irish operation. Documents lodged with the Companies Office show that 'LinkedIn Ireland Limited' and 'LinkedIn Technology Limited' have been formally registered as businesses in recent days. Both companies describe their purpose as "to carry on the business of an interconnected network of experienced professionals from around the world", in keeping with LinkedIn.com's global operations.
The Irish Examiner says that after days of public abuse, social networking site Twitter has suspended access to French footballer Thierry Henry's account, citing "strange activity". Meanwhile, online information site Wikipedia has locked its page on the footballer due to what it described as "vandalism". Elsewhere, on the website Punchinthefacebook.com, which allows users to 'hit' an image of their most hated person, Henry has received 160,286 punches.
The paper also notes that Apple reseller Compu b is to open a new shop at 17 Opera Lane in Cork next Saturday. The new store will stock all Apple products and software including Macs, iPods and iPhones. Staff are fully trained Apple experts.
The Wall Street Journal says that News Corp has held discussions with Microsoft about a partnership that could result in News Corp removing its newspaper content from Google's search engine while continuing to feature it on Microsoft's online properties, according to sources. The talks are still at a very early stage and may not result in a deal, according to these people. Among the most thorny issues, one person said, are the terms under which Microsoft would compensate News Corp, if at all, to feature its news content. It isn't clear whether the talks include News Corp's non-newspaper sites, such as MySpace or Fox television.
The Financial Times says that online auction site eBay became a victim of its own success at the weekend after a surge in the number of items for sale caused the site to crash. Millions of shoppers were first unable to search for items on the website on Saturday after a computer system failure. eBay said there had been a massive increase in the number of items listed for sale on its site in the run-up to Christmas. On Sunday, the website still said it was working to resolve the technical problems. eBay could be stung with a hefty bill to compensate sellers for losses caused by the outage.
The Sunday Independent says that record label EMI has begun legal action against UPC over what it claims is illegal downloading of music by Irish consumers. EMI says UPC, which is also known as Chorus NTL, is not doing enough to curb the activity. UPC has refused to give in to industry pressure to target file-sharers.
Meanwhile, the Sunday Business Post reports that the European Union could get involved in the row over downloading and could ban the three-strikes rule agreed to by Eircom that sees broadband customers who continually download files illegally cut off from the network. A new law introduced by EU telecoms commissioner Viviane Reding says ISPs will not be able to disconnect illegal file-sharers without judicial intervention. The directive is due to be transposed into law next year.
The same paper says that a new website has been set up to take advantage of the current craze for rugby. Totalrugby.ie was set up earlier this month and has been going steady since its launch, according to its founders.
The paper also reports that games software maker Havok has made a profit of USD8.4 million. The firm had turnover of USD19.6 million last year, rising from USD15.8 million recorded in 2007. The Intel-owned company employed 63 staff last year, with payroll costs of USD9 million.
The paper also says that Irish software firm Openet is positioning itself to list on the stock market as it finalises a USD11.5 million funding deal. The firm, which employs 300 people, has seen strong growth in recent years. Chief Executive Niall Norton said the company may list on a "senior market", such as the Nasdaq or the London Stock Exchange, by 2012. The firm recorded a EUR2.7 million loss last year despite revenues of EUR31 million, after it boosted spending on product development and marketing.
The paper reports that chip design firm RedMere expects to have its product on sale in US markets early next year, and is close to finalising a USD6 million fundraising round. The unnamed investors are expected to sign the deal before the end of 2009. The company develops chips for use in high-definition video cables.
Another firm involved in a funding round is Limerick chip developer Powervation, which has brought in New York-based fund Braemar Energy Ventures as a new investor, the paper says. The amount raised has not been disclosed, but the backing of a US-based energy technology fund is considered significant. The company, which develops power conversion chips for use in computing, networking and storage hardware, raised USD10 million earlier this year.
Caped Koala Studios has built a virtual world for kids, combining education and social networking 