IN THE PAPERS
In The Papers 7 January
07-01-2011
by Sylvia Leatham
Massive traffic increase for Irishtimes.com | Irish Rail to offer free Wi-Fi on Dublin-Cork route
The Irish Times reports that the number of individual users browsing the paper's website increased 82 percent in the 12 months to November 2010. Official audited ABCe figures show that the number of unique browsers accessing irishtimes.com rose to just under 3.9 million last November -- 1.7 million more than in the same month in 2009. The number of page impressions also rose sharply, increasing 40 percent to 36.2 million in November 2010.
The paper also says that Irish ad agency Adforce has secured an exclusive contract to sell advertising targeted at Irish viewers on the BBC's international website and mobile platform. The deal will mean the ad company, a subsidiary of Digital Reach Group, will sell the ad space Irish users are able to see on BBC.com and the broadcaster's iPhone news app. Adforce will take a percentage of the revenue generated through the advertisements it sells.
The paper also reports from the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer delivered a keynote address, discussing an update on Windows Phone 7, a preview of Surface 2.0, and a new feature for the Xbox 360. Although no sales figures for Windows Phone 7 were given, Ballmer said the company would continue to invest in the platform "aggressively". Ballmer also announced Avatar Kinect, the company's new gaming peripheral for the Xbox 360 that uses cameras to track the body movements and facial expressions of players. Ballmer also showcased a new version of Surface, Microsoft's touchscreen technology.
In more news from the CES, Intel demonstrated a new generation of chips at the show. The second generation of Intel's Core processors perform faster and better than their predecessors, working more than 60 percent faster at tasks such as using Excel or working with video. However, Intel faces new competition from the likes of graphics firm Nvidia, which has also announced its intentions to develop a central processor, codenamed Project Denver.
The paper also says that several companies unveiled plans for smartphones and touchscreen tablet devices at the CES, including Sony, which showed off the new Xperia Arc handset. For more on the CES, see ENN.ie.
The Irish Examiner says that Iarnrod Eireann is to introduce free Wi-Fi on its Dublin to Cork intercity rail service, following the successful trial of the service on one train on the route. Rail passengers with Wi-Fi enabled laptops or phones will be able to access the internet during their journeys on all trains operating between the cities. The company also plans to assess the coverage and reliability of Wi-Fi technology on other routes in the hope of extending the service across the national network.
The Financial Times says that Facebook has revealed in its latest fundraising round that an IPO could come as early as April 2012. In a 100-page memorandum sent to Goldman Sachs clients taking part in the funding round, the social network indicated that it would begin disclosing comprehensive financial information or go public by April next year, according to investors who received the document.
The Wall Street Journal notes that Apple has launched an app store for its Macintosh computers. The company said the new store initially contains more than 1,000 apps in 21 categories, such as productivity, games and education. Among the apps are some by Apple, including a Pages word processor and Keynote presentation software, which will each sell for USD19.99. The store will also include contributions by third-party developers, such as apps from Twitter, Evernote and Autodesk.
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Caped Koala Studios has built a virtual world for kids, combining education and social networking 