IN THE PAPERS
In The Papers 23 June
23-06-2010
by Sylvia Leatham
Technology often used to abuse women: report | Apple sells more than 3m iPads in 80 days
The Irish Times reports that technology is becoming an increasingly common tool for abusive men to monitor and control women, according to domestic violence charity Women's Aid. In its annual report, the charity notes an increase in disclosures of women being abused, controlled and stalked through technology. Director Margaret Martin said callers to Women's Aid said that current or former boyfriends, husbands and partners were using many forms of technology to control, coerce and intimidate them, including the monitoring of home and mobile phone calls and texts, and in some cases the secret installation of cameras in their homes. Abusers also tracked and scrutinised online use and demanded access to private e-mail and social networking accounts. Some women said their partners and ex-partners had posted lies about them on internet sites, or uploaded images or videos made without their consent to the web.
The paper also says that a study of whether children born to women who live near mobile phone masts were more likely to develop cancer has found no connection between the two. The children experienced no additional risk of cancer, according to a study by the Imperial College London, which researched almost 7,000 children who were born to mothers who were pregnant while living near mobile masts. No link could be found, according to the research, which was the first comprehensive study of its kind.
The same paper reports that more than 3 million Apple iPad tablet computers have been sold in the 80 days since the device was launched. Apple also said more than 11,000 apps have now been created specifically for the iPad, although it can also run the 225,000 apps available for the iPhone and iPod Touch. "People are loving iPad as it becomes a part of their daily lives," said Steve Jobs, Apple chief executive. The iPad will go on sale in Ireland next month, although no details of pricing or mobile carriers have been released. Separately, it has emerged that many iPhone users are having difficulties with a new release of the phone's operating system software. Many users have complained that an upgrade to iOS 4 took up to two hours to complete, while others found that apps installed from third parties no longer worked on their phone.
The Irish Examiner says that Irish shoppers spent an estimated EUR2.1 billion last year on internet credit card purchases. Figures from Visa Europe show the average Irish shopper spends EUR1,450 online per year, with flights and holidays the most popular purchases. The research also indicates that most shoppers believe buying online is secure and cost-effective, although almost two-thirds are seemingly unaware of their consumer rights when it comes to internet buying. Many shoppers believe they get better value for money by buying online, with half of those surveyed saying they saved between 11 percent and 30 percent by shopping online.
The paper also notes that cheese production processes are set to take a leap forward, thanks to new sensor technologies jointly developed by research teams at Teagasc, UCD and the University of Kentucky. These organisations are seeking industry partners to trial prototypes of visible-NIR syneresis sensor and digital imaging systems, which will facilitate remote and online monitoring of curd and whey separation processes. This innovation could improve the consistency of cheese moisture content, enhance quality control and lengthen shelf life.
According to the Financial Times, a portion of the BBC licence fee is to be used to help pay for the construction of high-speed broadband networks in rural areas of the UK. George Osborne said the Con-Lib government would not introduce the former Labour administration's plan for a STG6 annual tax on users of fixed-line phones to part-finance new broadband infrastructure in rural areas. Instead, the coalition is preparing to help pay for superfast broadband networks in the countryside by using a portion of the BBC licence fee earmarked for assisting the transition from analogue to digital television.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Adobe Systems' fiscal second-quarter profit jumped 18 percent as the company benefited from strong sales of its Creative Suite 5 product. For the quarter ended 4 June, Adobe recorded a profit of USD148.6 million, or USD0.28 a share, up from USD126.1 million, or USD0.24 a share, a year earlier. Excluding restructuring costs and other items, earnings rose to USD0.44 from USD0.35. Revenue surged 34 percent to USD943 million. The company forecast third-quarter earnings of USD0.46 to USD0.50 a share on revenue of USD950 million to USD1 billion.
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