NEWS IN BRIEF
For the record 29 June
29-06-2007
by Emmet Ryan
Apple iPhone set for launch in US | Mobile broadband market in Europe to hit 5 million connections in 2007
The wait for the Apple's iPhone is nearly over for American consumers and it can't come soon enough for some who have been queuing for four days to get their hands on the new device. The phone is being launched on Friday in the US and consumers are being limited to two iPhones per person. The handset is expected to be launched in Europe later this year. Apple is targeting sales of 10 million units by 2008.
The European mobile broadband market will reach 5 million connections at the end of this year according to a new report from the analyst firm Berg Insight. Austria and Sweden are leading the way with hundreds of thousands of consumers signed up to high-speed Turbo 3G network services delivering data rates up to 7Mbps. Berg Insight forecasts that in 2011 the number of connections will have reached nearly 30 million.
According to reports printing group, Oakhill, is to raise EUR10 million to fund its transformation into an investment company. Oakhill announced plans for a complete re-make of the company's direction earlier this year which involved former Eircom chief financial officer Peter Lynch taking over as executive chairman and increasing his stake to 20 percent. The new strategy involves developing the company as an acquisition and development vehicle. This will see Oakhill investing in underperforming assets in areas such as telecoms, financial services, digital media and property. It is proposing to change the company's name to Prime Active Capital to reflect the shift in direction.
Advertising in computer games in the US is poised to grow from USD370 million last year to more than USD2 billion by 2012, according to a new forecast from Parks Associates. The largest share of game-based advertising, according to the forecast, is attributable to display ads and advergames on web-based gaming portals. Those areas, together with the smaller segments of virtual worlds marketing and sponsored game tournaments and gaming sessions, accounted for USD315 million of the USD370 million in ad spending on games in 2006.
Air France and KLM have launched a mobile phone check-in service using SMS for confirmation, the Register writes. Initially the service will be available on departures from almost all metropolitan France and European airports, on Air France and KLM short and medium-haul flights. It should be extended to the entire network later this year. Customers can check in and choose their seat between 30 hours and 30 minutes before the latest check-in time. To benefit from this service, customers must have internet access on their mobile phone, and go to http://mobile.airfrance.com or www.klm.com.
Caped Koala Studios has built a virtual world for kids, combining education and social networking 