IN THE PAPERS
In The Papers 15 June
15-06-2010
by Sylvia Leatham
Microsoft unveils Kinect gaming platform | BSkyB demands another STG1bn from News Corp
The Irish Times reports that Microsoft has unveiled its new controller-free gaming and a slimmed-down console at a press conference ahead of the E3 games exhibition in Los Angeles. Formerly known as Project Natal, Kinect for Xbox 360 uses a camera and sensor to track movement, which is translated onto a screen and used to control movement and gameplay. The type of games that will be available for the new device covers a range of genres, including sports, car racing and dance games. Kinect will launch in North America on 4 November.
The Irish Examiner says that the Project Maths syllabus has been given the thumbs up by Leaving Certificate students. Around 1,800 students at 24 schools spent the last two years learning part of the maths course through new teaching methods under the Project Maths programme, which will be used in all schools from September. At St Patrick's College in Cork, five of the 22 girls taking Leaving Certificate maths chose higher level maths -- a far higher proportion than the one-in-six national average -- and were pleased with Paper 2.
The Financial Times reports that the worldwide video games market will expand to three times the size of the recorded music market by 2014, according to a new study. Growth in online, mobile and casual gaming will drive a compound annual growth rate of 10.5 percent in consumer spending on video games, said PwC's annual Global Entertainment and Media Outlook. This will bring industry revenues from USD51 billion to USD84 billion by 2014, PwC forecasts, contrasting with revenues of USD28 billion for recorded music.
The paper also notes that the former chairman and chief executive of Deutsche Telekom will not face charges, after a probe into spying on board members and journalists in 2005 and 2006 failed to find sufficient evidence. German prosecutors said they had dropped the investigation into whether Klaus Zumwinkel, then chairman, and Kai-Uwe Ricke, former chief executive, knew of data interception. The company admitted two years ago that phone records were monitored. The decision by the authorities means only a handful of mid-level managers will be charged in the wake of the 2008 revelation.
The Wall Street Journal reports that BSkyB's directors are demanding another STG1 billion from News Corp if the media conglomerate is to take full control of the satellite broadcaster. BSkyB has rejected News Corp's STG7.8 billion bid for the 61 percent stake of BSkyB it does not already own. The two sides have been unable to agree on terms for BSkyB, which has a market capitalisation of about STG10.5 billion. News Corp's STG7 a share offer is an increase on a STG6.75 a share proposal it made last week. However, BSkyB said the proposed price significantly undervalues the company. The company said it would support an offer of over STG8 a share.
The paper also says that Research In Motion is preparing new devices and software as it looks to fend off competition from the likes of Apple. RIM is testing a touch-screen smartphone with a slide-out keyboard, according to sources. The phone runs on a new version of the BlackBerry operating system and works much like an iPhone, letting users swipe through screens and expand images with their fingers. It also has a universal search bar that lets users scour all the phone's data and some data online as well, the sources say. RIM is also experimenting with a tablet device to serve as a larger-screen companion to the BlackBerry phone, according to sources.
Free! "In the papers" email newsletter -- get the full text to your in-box every business day. Email itp@enn.ie with 'subscribe' in the subject line.
Caped Koala Studios has built a virtual world for kids, combining education and social networking 