NEWS IN BRIEF
For the record 27 August
27-08-2007
by Deirdre McArdle
ComReg consults on use of in-flight mobiles | Sun changes ticker symbol to JAVA
Telecoms regulator ComReg is inviting views from the public and industry on the use of mobile communications on board aircraft (MCA). In a statement, the regulator said the purpose of the consultation was to explore the regulatory approach "appropriate to facilitating the use of mobile phone terminals on board commercial aircraft -- while ensuring that the existing terrestrial mobile communications networks are not subject to harmful interference". Interested parties have until 8 October to express their views. See ComReg.ie for details.
Sony Ericsson has teamed up with diminutive Dublin warbler Paddy Casey to launch limited edition Walkman phones. The Sony Ericsson W880i and W660i Paddy Casey Walkman phones come pre-loaded with a range of Paddy paraphernalia and will be available at 3Stores nationwide from 10 September.
The number of smart electricity meters in Europe will exceed 60 million by 2012, according to a new research report from Berg Insight. Smart metering means that consumers will receive electricity bills based on their actual consumption. The report identifies rising electricity prices, fears over global warming and energy market reforms as the main drivers behind the adoption of smart metering technology.
As of Monday, tech giant Sun Microsystems's ticker symbol on the Nasdaq stock exchange will change to JAVA. The change from SUNW, which has been the firm's ticker symbol since it went public in 1986, has not been well received in the industry, with people calling it a "terrible" and "horrible" idea. In a posting on his blog on Thursday, Sun President and CEO Jonathan Schwartz said that SUNW, which stands for "Stanford University Network Workstation," has some "nostalgic value" but that it represents the past and the company wants to look forward. "Most [people] know Java, few know Sun," Schwartz said.
Liberty Global, the parent company of NTL and Chorus, is to take a 35 percent stake in local Dublin television station City Channel. Financial details were not disclosed but it is understood the investment is worth around EUR2 million, valuing the fledgling TV station somewhere between EUR5 million and EUR6 million.
According to reports, Microsoft has blamed an unspecified server problem for a 24-hour period over the weekend during which consumers trying to download software updates were wrongly accused by Microsoft's "Windows Genuine Advantage" validation system of running pirated software on their PCs. Microsoft has said it has now fixed the mysterious glitch; however, thousands of customers have vented their anger on the WGA forum.
Caped Koala Studios has built a virtual world for kids, combining education and social networking 