NEWS IN BRIEF
For the record 21 June
21-06-2007
by Deirdre McArdle
Pigsback.com to launch in Canada | Three Ireland links up with Setanta Sports
Pigsback.com has announced it is to launch in Canada in the third quarter of this year through a partnership with BNV (Bell New Ventures). The online rewards site considers this launch to be the "most significant announcement made by the company since its launch in July 2000," according to a spokesperson. "The launch of Pigsback.com in Canada is a big step for us in developing our business internationally and potentially defines a direction for the USA market, giving us a model for faster international growth," said Michael Dwyer, CEO of Pigsback.com. The company also took time out to announce the appointment of Gareth Lambe to the role of Director International Development from his current role of Managing Director of the firm's Irish business.
Mobile operator Three Ireland has hooked up with Setanta Sports in a deal that will see three of the Setanta bundle of channels -- Setanta Golf, Setanta Ireland and Racing UK -- launch on the Three mobile network. The Setanta sports TV channels will each be priced at EUR0.50 for 24-hour access.
The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) and the dotMobi Advisory Group (MAG) have signed a global industry alliance memorandum of agreement. The agreement specifies that they will support each other's initiatives, including mobile advertising, mobile search and mobile commerce, and they will work together to advance the development of a common set of guidelines, best practices and commercialisation efforts to encourage the growth of the mobile web.
The Darklight Symposium, an annual celebration of new practices in film-making and art, kicked off at a number of locations around Dublin city on Thursday. The programme this year will include film screenings, discussion forums, workshops and the YouTube Video Lounge. The festival will run until 24 June.
A hacker, going by the name 'Gabriel', has reportedly posted a spoiler to the ending of the popular Harry Potter series of books online. He claims to have stolen a digital copy of author J.K. Rowling's seventh and final book, 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,' by breaking into a PC at Bloomsbury Publishing. While Bloomsbury has reportedly played down the hacker's claims, 'Gabriel' says he posted the information -- how the book ends, and which two characters die -- to make reading the book "useless and boring".
Caped Koala Studios has built a virtual world for kids, combining education and social networking 