IN THE PAPERS
In The Papers 10 August
10-08-2009
by Sylvia Leatham
Students drop out of sci-tech courses | Galway to get jobs boost
The Irish Times reports that large numbers of students are abandoning science and technology courses after their first year in university, according to new figures. At Dublin City University, regarded as the State's leading "hi-tech" university, 39 percent of students who began a science and technology degree course failed to progress to second year in their chosen course. At UCD, the non-completion rate is 26 percent. The drop-out rate is high across all seven universities in the State, averaging more than 20 percent. Tom Boland, chief executive of the Higher Education Authority, recently voiced fears of declining standards, with what he called "spoon-fed" second-level students struggling to cope at third level.
The Irish Independent says that a major US tech firm is to set up in Galway. Details of the company and the number of jobs it will create are being kept secret by the IDA and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, but Tanaiste Mary Coughlan is expected to travel to Galway on Wednesday to make a formal announcement. Sources said that the company -- which does not already have a presence in Ireland -- is an international corporation specialising in developmental information technology. It is believed that around 35 new jobs will be created initially.
The Irish Examiner reports that mobile operator O2 has confirmed that supply of the Apple iPhone 3GS cannot match demand and that customers are waiting weeks to get a handset. O2 has said that Apple controls the number of the phones coming into the country and that its manufacturing units cannot keep up with demand across the world. An O2 spokesman said that supply will increase in September. O2 would not provide figures on how many iPhones have been sold in Ireland since it won an exclusive deal to supply the handsets here.
According to the Financial Times, over 80 percent of big US advertisers are using Facebook to promote themselves. Facebook says that 83 of the top 100 advertising spenders in the US use its site, including Johnson & Johnson, Nike and AT&T. "Every client wants to talk about Facebook," said Ed Montes, US managing director of ad agency Havas Digital. "I haven't seen this kind of consistent fervour for a company since Google." The trend indicates that corporate America has embraced the social networking site as a mainstream promotional platform.
The paper also says that Nortel Networks chief Mike Zafirovski is close to announcing his departure from the Canadian telecoms equipment firm, according to sources. Nortel declined to comment. Zafirovski is not expected to take another position in the short term, the sources said. Nortel is currently selling off its assets while under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
The Wall Street Journal reports that French advertising giant Publicis Groupe has agreed to acquire Razorfish, Microsoft's digital ad firm, for around USD530 million. Publicis will pay for Razorfish with a combination of cash and 6.5 million shares. Microsoft will hold about 3 percent of Publicis stock after the deal closes, which is expected to occur in the fourth quarter. As part of the deal, Publicis has entered a "strategic alliance" with Microsoft, which includes a five-year media-buying relationship.
The Sunday Times reports that internet users are being warned to vary passwords they use for each website after a Sligo-based computer parts retailer was hacked. The Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) said that the firm in question, Computerbits, was in breach of data protection law as it had failed to hold customers' details securely. The attack was tracked back to Russia. Some 3,500 customers had their e-mails and passwords put online last February as a result of the incident. At least three Computerbits customers found their Facebook accounts had also been hacked, with friends being asked for money via the site's instant messaging facility. No credit card details were kept on the database. Computerbits accepted it was possible that the attack had led to the accounts being compromised, although it could not be certain.
The same paper reports that Iain Banks' new novel, 'Transition', will be the first newly published book to be serialised internationally on iTunes. The publisher -- Little, Brown Book Group -- has hammered out the deal with Apple, making an abridged version of the novel available as a free podcast. The first episode will go live on 3 September to coincide with publication of the novel. A further 22 15-minute-long instalments will be available on iTunes in Britain and America every Thursday and Saturday for 12 weeks. The publisher has promised a 'cliffhanger' ending for each podcast.
The Sunday Independent writes that Google-owned YouTube is to meet with Unionist MP Jeffrey Donaldson to discuss how to stop the publication of propaganda by dissident republican organisations on the network. The meeting is set to take place in London later this month. Google has already removed footage believed to have been taped during Orange Order celebrations in July of a masked Continuity IRA terrorist carrying an AK47 rifle in Armagh city. Donaldson has also got Facebook to remove a group supporting the Real IRA.
The same paper reports that Cork-based chip firm SensL has unveiled a new chip that could revolutionise the development of a range of medical devices. The company says the "four-sided scalable low light detecting silicon photomultiplier array" is an industry first. The chip could be used in medical devices and could be used in instruments to detect conditions such as cancer, Alzheimer's disease and cardiac problems. It could also find a market in homeland security and scientific instruments. A number of existing customers have already bought the chip, the company said.
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Caped Koala Studios has built a virtual world for kids, combining education and social networking 