IN THE PAPERS
In the papers 21 June
21-06-2007
by Sylvia Leatham
Google unveils hybrid car | Web broadcasters plan Day of Silence
The Irish Times reports that Molex Ireland, the Shannon-based cable and switch-maker currently undergoing restructuring, posted profits of EUR2.8 million last year. Last week the company, which made a loss of EUR3.5 million in 2005, said that it was going to consolidate its operations at Shannon by closing down its Cork-based plant at Millstreet with the loss of over 120 jobs.
The paper also says that electrical retailer DSG Ireland has reported 29 percent growth in sales for the year ended April 2007. Read the full story on ENN.
The Irish Independent says that Dublin-based private equity firm Atlantic Bridge Ventures has purchased Logica CMG's telecoms products business, as reported by ENN on Wednesday.
The paper also reports that search giant Google has unveiled a new, hyper-advanced model of a hybrid car that can be charged directly from the grid. When the car's battery is not in use, the stored electricity can be sold back to the utility company. Google says that by selling electricity back to the grid the cars can ease peak electricity demand. And even if the car results in more electricity being used during normal periods, Google says that the power from the grid will be more efficient and less damaging than the oil that would otherwise be burnt by its petrol engine.
According to the Financial Times, Microsoft is prioritising plans to develop a one-stop shop for internet advertisers, in a bid to take a bigger share of the web advertising market. Microsoft, which recently spent USD6 billion on acquiring US advertising technology and agency group Aquantive, believes advertisers want a single platform for buying and analysing all of their spend on web campaigns. The company is prioritising its drive to stitch together all Microsoft advertising businesses across the web, gaming and mobile in a bid to dislodge Google, the leading internet advertising group.
The Wall Street Journal says that web broadcasters are planning to turn off their music for a day next Tuesday in protest against higher statutory royalty rates payable to artists. Some of the largest services, including Live 365, Pandora Media and Yahoo Music, are participating in the blackout, which organiser Kurt Hanson of online radio service AccuRadio has dubbed "Day of Silence." Many online broadcasters say the new rate structure -- which will cost some of them several times their current total revenue -- will put them out of business. The new rates start at USD0.08 per song, per play, per listener, and will rise to USD0.19 by 2010.
The paper also reports that French government defence experts have advised officials to stop using the BlackBerry e-mail device, reportedly to avoid snooping by US intelligence agencies. E-mails sent from "Le BlackBerry" pass through servers in the US and Britain, and France fears that makes the system vulnerable to snooping by the US National Security Agency, Le Monde newspaper reported. BlackBerry maker Research In Motion, however, denies such spying is possible.
Caped Koala Studios has built a virtual world for kids, combining education and social networking 