IN THE PAPERS
In The Papers 22 November
22-11-2010
by Sylvia Leatham
Bitbuzz sees user increase | Nokia admits N8 power problems
The Irish Examiner reports that Wi-Fi operator Bitbuzz saw an 18.54 percent year-on-year increase in turnover during the first half of 2010. The total number of Bitbuzz Wi-Fi hotspots across Ireland as of the end of June was 223, compared to 204 in the same period last year. Bitbuzz also said it saw a 25 percent year-on-year increase in registered users during the first half of the year, bringing its total number of users to just under 271,300 people.
According to the Financial Times, Microsoft has abandoned efforts to make profits in the US from its HealthVault cloud computing system, which is designed to store personal medical data. The move is due to the complexity of the US health system. Peter Neupert, corporate vice-president for health, told the newspaper that the benefits to Microsoft in the US of HealthVault was simply to "increase the brand relationship" by raising its image with customers as "important, critical and trusted". HealthVault provides a way for individuals to store details of their medical consultations, prescriptions and results of home-based medical monitoring in the cloud so it can be easily read, transferred and analysed.
The Wall Street Journal reports that an annual blogging conference in Shanghai was cancelled this weekend under pressure from authorities. The Chinese Blogger Conference attracts dozens of prominent online commentators, entrepreneurs, digital artists and others each year. Many attendees are critical of government censorship, so the event is considered potentially sensitive.
The paper also says that a Swedish TV maker has launched what it claims is the world's first Android TV. People of Lava, a small Swedish manufacturer, launched the new TV in Swedish stores on Monday. The company hopes by next year to sell the set in major overseas markets as well. The set has a home menu with widgets including Google's Chrome web browser, Facebook, YouTube and Google Maps. It also has its own app store where users can download additional content.
The same paper says that Nokia has admitted its N8 smartphone has had power problems, with some handsets not turning on after recharging. The fault was limited to "a small number of handsets" and will be fixed in line with Nokia warranty rules, a Nokia spokeswoman said. She gave no details of whether the problem was regional or how many handsets were affected.
The Sunday Times reports that a satellite designed to plug Britain’s broadband blackspots will blast into space this week. Avanti Communications is launching Hylas 1 in French Guiana on Friday, promising to offer high-speed internet access to rural parts of the UK. Hylas 1 has a lifespan of at least 15 years. A second satellite will follow in the first half of 2012.
The paper also says that a 3D movie adaptation of The Selfish Giant, a short story by Oscar Wilde, is in development in Ireland. It is being created by the Irish director behind U2’s concert movie, the first film to shoot real people in 3D. Billed as a "substantially budgeted movie", with a musical focus, it will mix animation with live action. A large part of the film will be set and shot at Lismore Castle in Waterford.
The Sunday Business Post reports that a EUR3 million seed venture fund for start-up technology companies is to be launched at DCU. A total of 24 early stage companies will be supported over the next two years by the fund, which will be called Propeller, and is being run by DCU’s Ryan Academy for Entrepreneurship. The fund is being financed by the One Foundation, which is funded by businessman Declan Ryan, son of Ryanair founder Tony Ryan.
The paper also says that the number of people paying their tax bills online rose by almost 10 percent this year, as taxpayers availed of the extension granted for those who pay and file online. Taxpayers who paid their tax bill online via the Revenue Online Service (ROS) had until last Tuesday to submit their return and payment. Those using the traditional paper forms had until 31 October. According to figures from the Revenue Commissioners, a total of 323,259 income tax returns were filed through the online system by midnight on 16 November, an increase of 2.1 percent over last year.
The same paper notes that several international venture capital firms are in talks with Enterprise Ireland about the Innovation Fund Ireland initiative, which is intended to make EUR500 million available to Irish firms. Ahead of a deadline for expressions of interest this week, discussions are taking place with funding sources from a number of countries, including the US and Britain. Enterprise Ireland is understood to be confident that a number of deals will be struck under the initiative.
The paper also notes that Derek Quinlan, the financier behind some of the biggest property deals of recent years, looks set to lose about EUR2 million he put into a Dublin technology firm. Quinlan, whose loans were among the first to be transferred to Nama, is understood to be the main investor in Supplierforce. The company developed an online system for large firms to manage relationships with their suppliers, but is closing down after failing to raise additional funding.
The same paper says that an executive at one of the most successful US venture capital firms has said that founders of Irish technology companies tend to sell their ventures too quickly. "I always think that Irish companies sell too soon," said Rich Moran of Venrock. "If they get subsumed into something bigger, they are never going to be the next Facebook or Twitter, just a small part of something else." Moran said Irish firms needed to start thinking big if the technology sector here was to develop further.
Caped Koala Studios has built a virtual world for kids, combining education and social networking 