IN THE PAPERS
In The Papers 14 December
14-12-2010
by Sylvia Leatham
HP confirms new Galway jobs | Cork-based Avego to double staff numbers
The Irish Times reports that the main Irish arm of social network Facebook posted pretax profits of almost EUR300,000 in its first year of operation in Ireland. Documents filed with the Companies Office show that Facebook Ireland Ltd had revenues of EUR15 million in the 15 months to the end of December 2009. The company reported pretax profits of EUR297,688 in the period. Last week, the company said it plans to increase staff numbers in Dublin by 100.
The same paper says that the Irish arm of antivirus software maker Trend Micro posted a three-fold increase in pretax profits to EUR17.6 million last year. According to accounts filed with the Companies Office, revenues at Cork-based Trend Micro (EMEA) Ltd and subsidiaries more than doubled last year to EUR156.9 million.
The paper also notes that HP has confirmed it is to create 105 high-tech jobs at its Galway operation. The jobs, which will be in Ballybrit, are based around enterprise data architecture, application development and software engineering and testing. Between 50 and 70 of the positions will be filled immediately. The investment is being supported by IDA Ireland.
The Irish Independent says that computer users have been warned to be on the alert for a telephone scam whereby people are tricked into downloading a malicious file. Cyber criminals, claiming to be from Microsoft, are phoning consumers to tell them they have a virus on their PC. The caller then gets the victim to download a file and gains access to their computer. In some cases they also ask for credit card details. For analysis of this scam, see the ENNclick blog.
The paper also says that some Christmas shoppers are in danger of buying digital TVs that are not compatible with the new Irish digital service, which is due to be up and running by the end of 2012. All Irish homes will need to have upgraded their TV sets to receive a digital signal by that time. Fine Gael TD and consumer protection spokeswoman Olivia Mitchell warned shoppers buying a new digital TV this Christmas to make sure the set is MPEG4-compatible, rather than MPEG2. However, Declan Ronayne, managing director of Currys and PC World, noted: "The main thing is, if you are a Sky or UPC customer, MPEG2 and MPEG4 won't make a difference -- your television will work -- so you have nothing at all to worry about."
The Irish Examiner says that Irish scientists are leading a new European research project that could see microscopic 'smart materials' being used to treat heart disease. The scientists at the Tyndall National Institute based at University College Cork are heading up the European Commission's new Heart-e-Gel project. They will spend the next three years coordinating the work of material and microelectronics scientists, surgeons and medical device companies in Belgium, the Netherlands, France and Israel, for the development of Electro Active Polymers (EAPs) hydrogels.
The paper also says that Cork-based tech firm Avego is to double staff numbers at its head office as part of an ongoing expansion drive. The company, a global provider of software and hardware used in the making of passenger transport, is to announce on Tuesday 35 jobs at its headquarters in Kinsale over the next three years, as it embarks on a major research and development programme.
According to the Financial Times, Yahoo is on the verge of cutting between 600 and 650 jobs, or nearly 5 percent of its workforce. The move is the latest attempt by CEO Carol Bartz to reduce costs and reposition the company in faster-growing markets. Workers affected by the cutbacks are set to receive notifications starting Tuesday, according to a source. Yahoo refused to comment on the cuts. The cuts mark the first company-wide layoffs in 18 months.
The Wall Street Journal notes that advertisers are experimenting with ways to pitch to consumers while they read e-books. Marketers are exploring a variety of formats, including sponsorships that give readers free books. Videos, graphics or text with an advertiser's message that appear when a person first starts a book or along the border of the digital pages are also in the works. Ads can be targeted based on the book's content and the demographic and profile information of the reader.
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