IN THE PAPERS
In The Papers 28 September
28-09-2010
by Sylvia Leatham
Mallow launches maths teaching initiative | Otterbox to create Cork jobs
The Irish Times reports that Mallow in Cork has been praised by a senior Intel executive for an initiative to develop the area as a leading school district in the teaching of maths and science. The project will mean all primary and secondary schools in the area are partnered with the National Centre for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching and Learning. The collaboration will result in schools receiving specialised and intensive inputs from the centre, with the town becoming the incubation hub for new approaches to teaching science and maths. "The manner in which the local community is engaging with the third-level sector to position Mallow for the future is remarkable and innovative," said investment director of Intel Capital, Damien Callaghan.
The paper also says that mobile operator Three Ireland has paid a fine of EUR1,500 to ComReg relating to the overstatement of its quarterly subscriber numbers since 2006. Three, owned by Hutchison Whampoa, has also agreed to have its Irish subscriber data independently verified for the next 12 months. In August, Hutchison 3G Ireland informed ComReg that it had incorrectly stated the number of active pre-pay subscribers since 2006. Hutchison Whampoa's latest results showed that Three has about 310,000 active customers in Ireland.
The paper also reports that mobile phone accessory maker Otterbox is to create 50 jobs in Cork over the next two years when it establishes its Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) headquarters in the city. The jobs will be in sales, customer service, accounting, engineering, public relations, marketing, web design, graphics, supply chain, human resources and warehousing.
The Irish Independent reports that Taoiseach Brian Cowen will on Tuesday launch a jobs plan aimed at creating 300,000 new roles over the next five years. The plan is intended to create jobs in manufacturing, tourism and trading services. The Government claims the new plan, 'Trading and Investing in a Smart Economy', is the first "integrated strategy to promote overseas trade, tourism and investment". News of the plan emerged after more bad news on the jobs front, with 195 jobs due to go at electronics manufacturing firm UTC Fire and Security in Dublin.
The Irish Examiner reports that one-third of Irish citizens have never been online, despite sectors of Irish industry being ahead of EU averages for ICT use. Some 50 percent of economic growth now depends on the ICT sector either directly or indirectly. Speaking at a conference in Dublin organised by the European Commission Representation, Anthony Whelan, head of Cabinet for the European commissioner for digital agenda, said that despite punching above its weight in digital research, Ireland continued to lag behind in terms of the uptake of public services online.
The paper also notes that Airtricity customers will be able to use a smart card to pay their bills in post offices and shops nationwide under a new initiative. The wallet-sized SmarterEnergy card will allow Airtricity customers to make payments off their bills. There will be no need to present a paper bill when making a payment, and the new service will be free to use.
The Wall Street Journal says that AOL is in talks to acquire technology blog TechCrunch, according to a source. The terms and status of the deal could not be learned. A deal would mark a high-profile marriage between the internet giant and one of Silicon Valley's most high-profile blogs, which has often been discussed as a possible acquisition target.
According to the Financial Times, BlackBerry maker Research In Motion has launched its first tablet device, the BlackBerry PlayBook. The device has a seven-inch screen and dual high-definition cameras for video conferencing. The company described it as a "professional-grade" tablet, suggesting it was aimed at business executives and could command a premium price when the Wi-Fi version appears in US stores early in 2011.
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