IN THE PAPERS
In The Papers 23 December
23-12-2009
by Sylvia Leatham
Microsoft ordered to tweak Word | Apple plans internet TV
The Irish Times reports that Microsoft will tweak its Word application to remove a feature judged to be a breach of patent. The software giant made the announcement shortly after a US court of appeals upheld a USD290 million jury verdict against it for infringing a patent held by Canadian software firm i4i. The disputed patent relates to the use of XML in the 2007 versions of Word. The court also affirmed an injunction that prevents Microsoft from selling versions of Word that contain the offending software, set to take effect from 11 January 2010. Microsoft said it was taking steps to remove the feature from Microsoft Word 2007 and Microsoft Office 2007 put on sale from that date. Older versions of Word are not affected.
The Irish Examiner says that the steering committee established to turn Spike Island into a tourist attraction has set up a website to allow the public contribute suggestions for its development. The Government announced the transfer of Spike Island from the Department of Justice to Cork County Council to enable the local authority explore the tourism potential of the island. The site is available at Spikeislandcork.com.
The Financial Times reports that Apple is talking to the owners of US television networks, including CBS and Walt Disney, in the hopes of launching a subscription internet TV service by next year, according to sources. The service is expected to be offered via Apple's iTunes store. Executives close to the discussions fear Apple's possible TV service could undermine the lucrative economics of the pay television industry, where basic networks collect a fee per subscriber from distributors such as cable operators, as well as selling advertising. Creating a new subscription service with Apple could upset distributors, these people said.
The paper also says that Hollywood studios are considering major changes to the way they make their films available to rent in Europe, after Warner Brothers launched a video-on-demand (VoD) push. Warner has started making its films available to cable TV subscribers in the UK, Germany and France on the same day the titles are released on DVD. The studio is keen to promote VoD because it generates better returns than DVD rentals at a time when people are buying fewer DVDs.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Research In Motion has said users of its Blackberry device are experiencing delays in the sending and delivery of e-mail messages. The company said it is working to remedy the problem, which is chiefly affecting customers in the Americas. Blackberry users in many parts of Asia have also reported problems. "Technical teams are actively working to resolve the issue for those impacted," said RIM.
The paper also says that chipmaker Hynix Semiconductor expects to be profitable next year after posting huge losses in the early part of this year. Jong-Kap Kim, chief executive, said in an interview that he expects a global shortage next year of dynamic random access memory chips, a crucial component for PCs. "December this year is the only month ever where contract DRAM prices haven't fallen from November," said Kim. "Global demand for personal computers next year will likely increase 10 percent, and in that sense the industry outlook is expected to remain solid."
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Caped Koala Studios has built a virtual world for kids, combining education and social networking 