IN THE PAPERS
In The Papers 17 May
17-05-2010
by Sylvia Leatham
YouTube to court pro content providers | Google, Intel to launch 'Smart TV' platform
The Financial Times reports that smartphones will reach the mass market in emerging economies as soon as their prices fall below USD100, according to the head of MediaTek, the biggest supplier of mobile phone chips to China. Tsai Ming-kai, the Taiwanese company's chairman and chief executive, said in an interview that touchscreen phones should follow other phone technologies in becoming quickly a mass consumer product sold at a relatively low price. "All end-products -- besides televisions, from our experience -- if [they are] to become very widespread then they have to sell for less than USD100 or even under USD50," he told the newspaper.
The paper also says that YouTube is to announce that it serves up more than 2 billion videos a day, in an effort to persuade content providers that it can offer "TV-size audiences". Hunter Walk, YouTube's director of product management, would not comment on YouTube's profitability but said its business model had "caught up with the consumer phenomenon" and was set to develop into a diverse product capable of paying "billions of dollars" to growing numbers of professional content partners. With more than 1,000 professional content partners, "it's going to start to look like the cable TV networks of the 70s, 80s and 90s," he added. YouTube is also looking at streaming 3D content such as sporting events live.
The same paper says that YouTube owner Google and chipmaker Intel are expected to announce a significant breakthrough into consumer electronics and the broadcast industry this week, with the launch of a 'Smart TV' platform. Executives from the two companies are reported to be ready to reveal a deal with Sony, bringing web services to its televisions, during Google's annual developer conference in San Francisco. Intel's Atom chip and Google's Android operating system are key to the push to bring integrated internet services to TV set-top boxes. "The revolution we're about to go through is the biggest single change in television since it went colour," said Intel chief Paul Otellini last week.
According to the Wall Street Journal, India has given Huawei Technologies and ZTE one month to disclose full details of their ownership. The move was spurred by concerns that foreign telecoms equipment makers, mainly from China, are a national security threat, because they can have spying technology embedded in their equipment. The move follows several attacks on Indian government websites that New Delhi blames on Chinese hackers. ZTE's chairman said that officials from the company met India's Home Secretary on Thursday to discuss matters regarding the purchase of telecom equipment from China.
The paper also says that software maker CA, formerly known as Computer Associates, is tweaking its name again. Although it isn't changing its name legally, the company said it will use CA Technologies as the brand for all of its products and marketing. Company executives say the name signals a broadening of CA's strategy beyond its core franchise of mainframe software into cloud-based services. To get the word out, CA plans to boost its marketing budget 50 percent this year to around USD200 million, according to a source. The campaign started to roll out over the weekend featuring an overhauled website and new advertisements.
The Sunday Tribune says some Irish music blogs may have to shut down following a demand from the Irish Music Rights Organisation (Imro) that they hold Limited Online Exploitation Licences for hosting songs on their websites. The fees for the scheme could cost hundreds of euro a year, even for sites run from an individual's bedroom. The fee does not take into account the size of a blog, or if they make any money. The music sites are sent tracks by artists and labels to promote the artists to new audiences. However, Imro has the rights to collect royalties from public performance of music on behalf of songwriters, composers and publishers, and there is currently no opt-out or waiver for promotional material. Bloggers have said the Imro measures could destroy the blogs and cut off a potential promotional avenue for bands.
The same paper says Government departments have spent EUR272 million on IT contracts to external firms for hundreds of projects since 2005. However, the departments also have their own in-house ICT staff. The largest amount was spent by the former Department of Social and Family Affairs, which awarded contracts worth EUR103 million between 2006 and 2009. In 2006, it spent more than EUR26 million on advice and expertise from technology firms. Meanwhile, the Department of Foreign Affairs spent EUR43 million on outsourcing contracts to technology firms between 2006 and the present. IT firm Fujitsu received the most from a single contract over the five-year period.
The Sunday Times reports that the number of digital cinema screens in Ireland tripled to 112 last year, with operators seeking to meet demand for 3D films such as Avatar and Up. This follows an increase last year to 45 from nine in 2008. The figures, from the European Audiovisual Observatory, say there are now 2,374 digital cinemas in Europe. Demand for 3D films also helped the Irish cinema industry buck the recession early this year, although the sector recorded record a fall in takings last year. In the first three months of 2010, admissions increased 1.2 percent compared with the first quarter of 2009, Carlton Screen Advertising said. In March, admissions rose 15 percent on 2009 figures.
The paper also says a new film will portray Facebook inventor Mark Zuckerberg as a "ruthless and untrustworthy sex maniac". The black comedy, 'The Social Network', dramatises the founding of Facebook, told in flashbacks at a court hearing. The film, details of which were leaked online, is due for release in October. The social networking site has been hit in recent days by new conflict over changes to its privacy settings.
The Sunday Business Post reports that Boston Scientific is expected to announce the loss of 70 jobs at its Galway operation in coming weeks. The company, which makes medical devices, currently employs about 2,800 people at the operation, and a further 2,000 people at its plants in Cork and Tipperary. Earlier this year, it said it would cut 175 jobs. The latest losses may hit engineers, technicians and supervisors, but details will not emerge until next month. Boston Scientific would not comment on "site specific employee numbers". The paper said it was understood some short-term contracts were not being renewed and some staff members were taking redundancy.
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