IN THE PAPERS
In The Papers 14 January
14-01-2011
by Sylvia Leatham
We7 music service set for Irish launch | Intel enjoys record quarter
The Irish Times reports that Ireland's drop in OECD maths and literacy rankings is a "matter of serious concern", according to Brigid McManus, secretary general of the Department of Education, although she questioned the findings of the international study. The Oireachtas Committee on Education met department officials on Thursday to discuss the results of the Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa). McManus said the findings were "very disappointing" and the literacy results were a "huge shock". However, she said a review of the data had made the department aware that it must treat the results with caution "because of significant limitations in design and underlying methodology used by Pisa".
The paper also reports extensively on the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition, describing numerous examples of research projects. Three transition-year students from the Dominican College, Wicklow, worked with a group in Malawi to develop a low-cost rainwater harvesting technology. Students from St Andrew's College, Dublin, also had the developing world in mind when they put together a simple, low-cost kit to test drinking water safety. Meanwhile, Darina Lynch of St Mary's Secondary School, Macroom, has developed a way to bring the common fresh-water sponge in from the wild and make it grow indoors. In another study, students from St Aloysius Secondary School looked at whether listening to music could improve learning.
The same paper notes that online music streaming service We7 will officially launch in Ireland on Monday. We7 allows users to listen legally to music for free online, with artists gaining royalties each time their work is played. The site is funded by audio ads played between tracks, while a EUR5 monthly subscription allows users to listen ad-free. A higher subscription of EUR10 a month will give users access to the service on their iPhone or Android smartphone.
The paper also notes that IT services provider Version 1 is forecasting revenue growth of 35 percent for 2011 and plans to recruit more staff this year. The Irish-owned firm signed deals collectively worth EUR3 million in recent months. Although Version 1 has not filed accounts yet for 2010, managing director Justin Keatinge said the company exceeded its revenue target of EUR17.5 million. The company was also named Ireland's leading indigenous IT service provider by market research company IDC.
The paper also reports that worldwide PC shipments grew only slightly in the fourth quarter, hurt by weak consumer demand and competition from Apple's iPad tablet. PC shipments rose 2.7 percent to 92.1 million in the October-December period, according to IDC. The research firm had expected growth of 5.5 percent. Separately, researcher Gartner said fourth-quarter shipments rose 3.1 percent. Gartner had been predicting growth of 4.8 percent.
The paper also notes that 46 percent of Irish teenagers claim to regularly purchase music online, according to a study by online marketing agency Mulley Communications. The research, which surveyed 101 teenagers last November, found Nokia was the brand of mobile phone most likely to be used by teenagers, but Apple's iPhone would be the preferred choice of two-thirds of respondents if money was no object.
The same paper notes that the Innovation Value Institute at NUI Maynooth has won a contract with the European Commission to carry out research intended to "strengthen and further professionalise" the role of chief information officers and IT professionals in business, public sector and academic organisations.
The Irish Examiner says that Irish parents are among the most vigilant in Europe at controlling what their children access on the internet. However, there is a one-in-five chance children can access sites which advise about self-harm or promote anorexia. The study by the EU's Safer Internet Programme reveals that close to a third of children across Europe access the internet through their phones, while more than a quarter go online through their game consoles. The study found that parents have little control over social networking sites, forums and blogs. While filters are 80 percent successful, in the remainder of cases they fail to work, either permitting unsuitable material or preventing content specifically designed for children.
The paper also says that pre-tax profits at the Dublin-based firm that operates Ask.com in Ireland and Britain fell by 70 percent last year to USD3.4 million. Accounts recently filed with the Companies' Office show IAC Search & Media Europe Ltd's revenues dropped 19 percent to USD126 million to the end of December 2009. The company's operating profit decreased 66 percent to USD3.8 million during the period.
According to the Wall Street Journal, chip giant Intel has posted its best quarterly and yearly results ever. The company said its fourth-quarter gains, which included a 48 percent jump in profit and an 8.4 percent increase in revenue, were driven largely by sales of server systems. Revenue from data-centre customers rose 15 percent, while revenue from its desktop and laptop PC group was the same as a year ago. Profit for the quarter ended 25 December was USD3.39 billion, or USD0.59 a share. Revenue rose to USD11.46 billion.
Caped Koala Studios has built a virtual world for kids, combining education and social networking 