IN THE PAPERS
In The Papers 2 February
02-02-2010
by Sylvia Leatham
MP3 users warned of hearing-loss risks | Google to launch business software store
The Irish Times reports on the launch of interactive website www.abairleat.com, which aims to improve the teaching and learning of spoken Irish in secondary schools. Students can use the website to listen to native Irish speakers, record their own material in Irish and do self-correcting exercises. Teachers can assess students' work and give feedback online or by e-mail.
The paper also notes that mathematical knowledge levels vary significantly among primary teachers, a new survey shows. The study of more than 500 teachers in Ireland found that most were good at algebra. Most were also good at identifying and classifying errors made by students in their work, and at matching diagrams with fraction calculations. Some teachers found it more difficult to know whether a student's explanation showed understanding, and whether common 'rules of thumb' given to students are always true. The report, 'Knowing What Counts: Irish Primary Teachers' Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching', was published by the Marino Institute of Education and the Department of Education and Science.
The paper also reports that Amazon has backed down in a dispute with Macmillan over e-book pricing. Read more on this story on ENN.
The same paper says that First Derivatives has signed a strategic alliance with BrokerEdge, as noted by ENN on Monday.
The Irish Examiner says that former Dell workers have been warned that the millions of euro allocated to help them return to work should not be regarded as winning the lottery. "Much work has already been done in supporting those made redundant in the mid-west region. The supports now being provided with the assistance of the European Globalisation Fund will further enhance that service provision but should not be regarded as the equivalent of a winning lottery ticket," said Junior Minister Dara Calleary. He said the EUR23 million in funding will be allocated through educational and other state agencies, such as FAS and Enterprise Ireland.
The paper also notes that one in ten 30-year-olds will be unable to hear without the help of a hearing aid within the next decade as a direct result of listening to MP3 players too loudly. Figures released as part of Hearing Awareness Week claim that a generation of adults are risking premature deafness due to the high volumes at which they listen to music. According to Hidden Hearing, the organisers of the campaign, more than half of MP3 player users listen to "dangerously high volumes" of music above 89 decibels for two hours a day, with some systems reaching the same sound level as "a jet engine". A further one in five people turn the volume up to above 100 decibels, while two out of every five MP3 players have volume levels that can cause long-term hearing damage after just 30 minutes.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Google is preparing to launch a store selling online business software that integrates with its web services, according to sources. These people say the store will sell software designed by outside developers to integrate and add capabilities to Google Apps, such as enhanced security features or the ability to import contacts. Google could announce the new store as soon as March, the sources said.
The paper also says that France Telecom is about to announce the appointment of Stephane Richard as its chief executive. Richard could take over from current CEO Didier Lombard on 1 March if, as expected, the telecoms firm's board accepts his nomination at a meeting on 24 February, the company said in a statement. If all goes as planned, Richard will unveil a new industrial project around mid-March aimed at improving customer relations and boosting the performance of the company's mobile and landline networks.
The Financial Times reports that the global chip industry is expected to return to strong growth this year after a healthy end to 2009, according to industry forecasts. The Semiconductor Industry Association said sales suffered less than expected in 2009, reaching USD226.3 billion, compared with its forecast of USD219.7 billion. Sales were down 9 percent from 2008. However, December sales were up 29 percent on December 2008. Research firms Gartner and iSuppli are predicting chip sales growth of 13 percent and 15.4 percent, respectively, in 2010.
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