IN THE PAPERS
In The Papers 1 November
01-11-2010
by Sylvia Leatham
Apple countersues Motorola | Flaws uncovered in Android OS
The Irish Times notes that Twitter has "scratched only 1 percent of its potential", according to the founder of the micro-blogging site. Speaking at the 'Founders' gathering for web and tech executives on Saturday, Jack Dorsey said the company will now focus on new products in addition to the current service. Dorsey said "the route to profit" would "emerge from the network", by which he meant that it would be dictated by what users are comfortable with. "Revenue for us is not really about making money but sustaining the product and supporting growth," he said. Also at the conference, YouTube founder Chad Hurley announced he plans to step down as chief executive.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple has sued Motorola, alleging that its smartphone range and operating software infringe on Apple's intellectual property. In October, Motorola sued Apple for patent infringement. In its complaints, Apple alleges that Motorola smartphones, including those in its Droid line-up, violate six Apple patents covering touch-screen and multitouch technology, as well as ways to display, access and interact with information on the phone. Apple is requesting that a judge award damages and attorney's fees and that the courts stop Motorola from selling the products.
According to the Financial Times, IBM has overhauled its cloud computing strategy, which involves selling computing services from centralised data centres. IBM said it would sell cloud computing through its services division, which generates nearly 60 percent of its revenues. Rather than try to encourage companies to hand all their data over to IBM to be stored and processed, the company said it planned to sell individual services from its data centres that could be integrated into a company's existing IT systems. The move would leave companies in control of their own IT but is designed to bring greater flexibility and lower costs to customers.
The paper also says that a study of the most critical part of the Android smartphone operating system has turned up programming errors, some of which could allow hackers to access users' e-mail or other sensitive information. The analysis by Coverity, the code analysis group, examined the publicly disclosed version of the Android kernel inside the HTC Droid Incredible phones, but the study says it's likely that other Android phones have the same programming flaws. The company has given details of the flaws to Google and HTC, who are assessing the findings.
The same paper notes that Barack Obama will appear on AOL.com on Tuesday, part of the president's efforts to get the vote out on election day in November and part of a relaunch for the beleaguered website. Obama pre-recorded a segment called "You've Got", a one-minute slot that will air on AOL's redesigned home page. The move is part of AOL's new video-heavy approach, which it hopes will revive the fortunes of its website and lure back advertisers. "You've Got" is a nod to AOL's iconic "You've Got Mail" slogan from 15 years ago, and will be a regular feature for celebrities to reach an online audience.
The Sunday Independent reports that Irish online shoppers could face delivery delays following last Friday's global bomb scare. A number of the big online shopping companies were attempting to assure customers that delays will not happen, but experts speaking on Saturday said such interruptions are unavoidable. On Friday US-bound mail bombs were discovered on cargo planes at East Midlands Airport, England, and at Dubai.
The paper also reports on the launch of PubRepublik.com, which was set up by south Tipperary-based Paul Upstone, who is the son of a pub owner. The site operates as a search engine for the Irish pub and hotel trade and allows venues to promote events and festivals in their establishments.
The Sunday Tribune writes that tech firm Storm Force Technology is lobbying Enterprise Ireland to create a countrywide online server and database of school text books which would see the end to schoolbags and a move to "digital satchels". Using a piece of software called Motion, a server would be set up in the Department of Education and each school would install the program. Pupils would then be given their own account, where they could file homework, read text books online and complete exercises set in the class. Storm Force claims its new technology is better than that of a similar pilot scheme being currently run by a Dublin school.
According to the Sunday Business Post, online teaching tool My Study Mate, which was set up by two Irish teachers, made it to the semi-final of a worldwide competition run by Microsoft and held in Cape Town last Friday. The tool is the brainchild of Ursula Hynes and David Walshe from Ratoath College in Co Meath. It was praised as one of the best education innovations of the year by judges at Microsoft’s Worldwide Innovative Education Forum (IEF).
The paper also reports on Intel's opening of its largest plant in Vietnam. The paper says that while the new Vietnam operation will not directly affect Intel's Irish base in Leixlip, it highlights the longer-term challenges posed by lower-cost emerging economies in Asia, particularly as education and income levels increase there.
The paper also reports that Cork company Zenith Technologies has opened its fourth US office on the west coast of the US, as it gears up to launch a new advanced e-learning solution in the US market. The announcement was made during a visit to the company’s office in Framingham, Massachusetts, last week, by Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation, Batt O’Keeffe. Zenith sells automation, process control and manufacturing execution systems (MES) to the life sciences and other industries.
The paper also writes that In Hand Guides (IHG), an Irish start-up specialising in low cost embedded audio players, has won a major US contract to supply a tour bus operator in New York. The company won the deal with Twin America, the operator of City Sights NY and Gray Line New York, with support from Enterprise Ireland's New York Office. Under the terms of the contract, it will manufacture a branded bespoke audio device for customers of City Sights and Gray Line.
The same paper also briefly notes that Antrim-based software provider Quality Manufacturing Systems (QMS) has signed up the first customer in the Republic of Ireland for its 123insight Manufacturing Enterprise Management solution; and internet telephony provider Blueface has a partnership with Social Entrepreneurs Ireland (SEI) to launch a new affinity program aimed at helping start-up companies to manage their telecommunication costs.
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Caped Koala Studios has built a virtual world for kids, combining education and social networking 