IN THE PAPERS
In The Papers 11 May
11-05-2010
by Sylvia Leatham
NUI Galway develops ash cloud forecaster | Sprint refuses to carry Nexus One handset
The Irish Times reports that university presidents have reacted positively to new proposals for bonus CAO points for honours maths. Dr John Hughes, president of NUI Maynooth, said universities would respond in a favourable way to a suggestion by Minister for Education Mary Coughlan, who wants colleges to award "significant" bonus points to students taking higher level maths in the Leaving Cert. Dr Hughes is the current chair of the Irish Universities Association (IUA), the group which represents the seven university presidents. Coughlan has also asked college presidents to accept students who fail higher level maths. The issue of bonus points will be considered by university heads at their next monthly meeting.
The Irish Examiner reports that an advanced system for forecasting volcanic ash in Irish airspace has been developed by researchers at NUI Galway. The forecast, offering six-day estimates for the location, size and make-up of dust clouds from Iceland, will allow potential air travellers to make informed travel decisions based on up-to-the-minute information. "While the initial aim is not to replace the official London-based Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC) for aviation decisions, it certainly provides an additional informative tool for potential air travellers," said Prof Colin O'Dowd, director of the Centre for Climate and Air Pollution Studies at NUI Galway.
The paper also notes that a group made up of business people, academics and civil servants was established on Monday to work on implementing recommendations made in the Innovation Taskforce report, which was published in March. The report outlines options for Government on how to increase innovation and entrepreneurship and to ensure that investment in science, technology and research translates into high-value jobs and sustainable economic growth. Enterprise Minister Batt O'Keeffe said: "The committee will first review the state of play on each recommendation [in the report] to determine where immediate implementation is possible. Other recommendations will need close engagement with agencies and government departments to move the implementation process on."
According to the Wall Street Journal, Sprint Nextel has confirmed it is backing away from making Google's Nexus One handset available on its network. It is the second US mobile operator to drop its commitment to sell the device, after Verizon Wireless said last month it would not make the Nexus One available on its network. T-Mobile USA is the only US carrier to offer a mobile plan with the device. Sprint and Verizon Wireless are both pointing to their own Android devices as superior alternatives. Sprint is pushing the upcoming Evo, which is the first US device compatible with Sprint and Clearwire's 4G WiMax network. "There's really no need for it," said a Sprint spokeswoman, referring to the Nexus One.
The paper also says that activist investor Carl Icahn has sharply increased his stake in Motorola, which is preparing to split itself in two. The billionaire, through his various funds, boosted his Motorola stake to 203.3 million shares, or roughly 8.8 percent of the company's total outstanding shares, according to a recent filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. At the end of last year, he owned 119.8 million shares. A source said he believes Icahn's share buying reflects a view that Motorola's value will rise when it completes the split, which is now set for early next year.
The Financial Times says that TalkTalk Telecom Group, the UK's second-largest broadband provider, said it added new customers in the final quarter and expects to maintain the momentum in the coming year. In its first trading update as a standalone company after de-merging from Carphone Warehouse, TalkTalk said it added 144,000 new customers in the last quarter, up from 115,000 in the third quarter. Net new group broadband customers rose 42,000 in the period. Revenue for the year to 31 March rose 21.7 percent to STG1.7 billion. Earnings before interest and tax rose from STG124 million to STG160 million.
The paper also reports that Twitter users may have to be more careful with their tweets after a joke about blowing up an airport led to a conviction for posting "grossly offensive" messages. Paul Chambers, a journalist and trainee accountant from Doncaster, turned to Twitter to vent his frustration about travel disruption during January's snowfalls. "Crap! Robin Hood airport is closed," he wrote. "You've got a week and a bit to get your shit together, otherwise I'm blowing the airport sky high!!" After the South Yorkshire airport became aware of the message, Chambers was arrested on suspicion of making a bomb hoax. Chambers was charged under the 2003 Communications Act, which makes it an offence to send "indecent, obscene or menacing" messages over a public electronic communications network. Doncaster magistrates found him guilty and fined him STG385, plus STG600 costs.
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