NEWS IN BRIEF
For the record 2 April
02-04-2008
by Ciara O'Brien
Apple faces new legal action | Typetec nets EUR600,000 IT contract with INTO
Apple is facing another lawsuit in the US, this time over claims its latest iMac desktop monitor can display "millions of colours". Or so its marketing blurb says. However, a Texas resident has taken issue with the claims, saying that the advertising is deceptive, and the 20 inch version of the iMac only displays 262,144 true colours. The plaintiff, Chandra Sanders, claims that the rest of the colours are produced by a trick of technology, which shows similar shades at a high speed. Lawyers are now seeking class action status for the case.
IT managed services company Typtec has rolled out EUR600,000 worth of new systems and services to the Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO). The company implemented a new IT infrastructure for the INTO's head office and mobile staff in 181 branches around the country, along with a proactive systems management service. Under the first phase of the project, Typetec updated legacy systems in the INTO's head office operations, reorganised the underlying IT infrastructure and managed the INTO's move into a new extension of their Dublin office.
A new portal to provide women with information, research and treatment options for HIV and AIDs is being powered by EMC software. The Well Project is using EMC Documentum software for the international information portal, providing concurrent information and real-time updates for more than 70,000 English and Spanish-speaking monthly visitors across multiple portals.
Digiweb has cut prices for its Metro broadband and phone service in half for new customers, only days after it doubled speeds on the service. The half price offer will run until 31 May 2008, backed up by a nationwide advertising campaign on radio, print, direct mail and online media.
HP's entire personal workstation line has become the first in the category to achieve a "Gold" rating in the Electronic Products Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT), which is designed to help businesses evaluate, compare and select desktop computers, notebooks and monitors based on the products' environmental attributes. The HP workstations' feature low energy consumption, and have a reuse- and recycle-friendly design. The current range includes the HP xw4550 Workstation, the HP xw4600 Workstation, the HP xw6600 Workstation, the HP xw8600 Workstation, and the HP xw9400 Workstation.
European IT and business services company Logica has appointed Craig Boundy as its new chief executive of global operations, taking responsibility for managing Logica's delivery programme, consolidating tools and processes across its company's offshore centres in India, the Philippines and Morocco. Previously Boundy was employed as chief operating officer of Cable and Wireless' business in Europe, US and Asia, vice president at BT Ignite and chief operating officer at Energis.
Norkom Technologies has announced the appointment of David Dixon to the role of managing director for global solutions. In the new role Dixon will work with customers throughout Norkom's global base of Tier One banks and financial institutions, assisting in the ongoing evolution of fraud and risk management strategies. Prior to joining Norkom Dixon worked in BearingPoint's financial services practice, and spent 10 years at Bank of Montreal, where he established and ran the bank's Fraud Containment Strategies Group.
Those who want to give their input into the proposed strategy for managing the wireless spectrum in the coming years have a little extra time to do so. ComReg has extended the deadline for submissions to 2 May after receiving requests from interested parties.
The latest incarnation of the Hotline website, which was set up to tackle child pornography online, was unveiled on Wednesday by the new Executive Director of the Office for Internet Safety, John Laffan. Established in 1999, the Hotline works with the Gardai and 29 other international Hotlines to try to deal with child porn, receiving reports from the public about potentially illegal material found online. The OIS, which was set up in March, is responsible for internet safety, particularly with regards to young people.
Caped Koala Studios has built a virtual world for kids, combining education and social networking 