IN THE PAPERS
In The Papers 4 May
04-05-2010
by Sylvia Leatham
IEDR gets record registrations | Chip sales still on the up
The Irish Examiner reports that a record 141,243 websites are using the dot-ie (.ie) domain name, according to the latest figures from the IE Domain Registry. The IEDR reported a 2.2 percent year-on-year increase in dot-ie domain registrations for March. Registrations for the month totalled 3,686 -- the highest number recorded in a single month during the past 12 months.
The Wall Street Journal reports that worldwide chip sales rose 4.6 percent in March from the previous month, setting a new high for March, according to the Semiconductor Industry Association. The growth has been driven by demand for PCs and mobile phones. March sales totaled USD23.1 billion, up 58 percent from a year earlier, which marked a low point during the recession. For the first quarter, sales also surged 58 percent to USD69.2 billion.
The paper also says that US advertisers and internet firms have been scrambling to head off regulation they say will hamper the growth of online advertising. The pressure is expected to build on Tuesday as lawmakers prepare to announce proposed privacy legislation. The draft legislation proposes regulating internet companies' tactics for collecting information about web visitors and the use of that data for ad targeting. Lawmakers and regulators say that most consumers experience a great deal of confusion about what information is collected about them and how it is used. Meanwhile, internet and advertising companies say that they are capable of regulating themselves and that privacy legislation threatens to stifle the USD23 billion internet-ad market.
The paper also reports that Apple has said it sold its 1 millionth iPad on Friday, the same day the company released its 3G version of the device. "One million iPads in 28 days --that's less than half of the 74 days it took to achieve this milestone with iPhone," said Apple CEO Steve Jobs, who noted that "demand continues to exceed supply". Apple also said iPad users have already downloaded more than 12 million apps and more than 1.5 million e-books. Gene Munster, an analyst at Piper Jaffray, estimated that Apple sold 300,000 iPad 3Gs over the weekend, including preorders and online sales.
In other news of Apple, the Financial Times says that US authorities have signalled an interest in a potential antitrust probe into whether the software underpinning the iPhone unfairly locks out competitors, according to sources. The regulators' interest comes in the wake of a dispute that broke out between Apple and Adobe over the latest version of iPhone software. Apple chief Steve Jobs last week took the unusual step of writing a public letter explaining his decision to bar Adobe's software from Apple devices. The source said an investigation would likely focus on allegations Apple operates a 'closed' system, that is, whether it is unfairly forcing developers to use Apple's own tools to develop apps for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.
The paper also says that the co-founders of UK antivirus software maker Sophos are set to net about USD300 million after private equity group Apax Partners agreed to buy a majority stake in the 25-year-old company. Jan Hruska and Peter Lammer, who created Sophos in 1985 after meeting as engineering students at Oxford University, are selling a large part of their combined 60 percent of the company in a deal to be announced on Tuesday valuing it at USD830 million.
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