Michael O’Doherty in bad journalism shocker

The Evening Herald’s Michael O’Doherty recently bemoaned the Apple £society” of which he had become a member, following his purchase of an iPhone. This world was full of unlikable hipsters, he said, who do little more than brag about their latest Apple purchases. As evidence of his claim he pointed to news that Apple was [...]

BlogTalk conference to be held in Galway (IT – 13/08/10)

Leading figures in social media will descend on Galway later this month as part of the seventh annual BlogTalk international conference. The two-day event, which took place last year in South Korea, will be held on the campus of NUI Galway on August 26th and 27th. Speakers already scheduled include Galway-born entrepreneur Fergus Hurley and [...]

Deal paves way for customer loyalty schemes (IT – 13th August 2010)

Small retailers will be able to establish inexpensive customer loyalty schemes following a deal between AIB Merchant Services and Irish-based Zapa Technology. The exclusive agreement means merchants can use Zapa’s contact-less chip technology in their shops, removing the need for individual loyalty cards and systems. Zapa uses near-field communications technology to produce a small sticker [...]

Start-ups to collaborate on plans in Galway (IT – 6/08/10)

A new Irish networking event aims to give start-ups and entrepreneurs a chance to collaborate to develop tailor-made action plans for the year ahead. Féile Icarus takes place in Letterfrack, Galway, on August 27th and 28th and invites attendees to share their experiences to help one another identify the next step. According to founder Chris [...]

In search of the light fantastic (IT – 6/08/10)

The switch to green lighting has moved from CFL bulbs to LEDs and Irish firms are targeting niche shares in a burgeoning market, writes Adam Maguire. As LEDs (light-emitting diodes) become an increasingly promising replacement for traditional light sources, numerous Irish companies are seeking – and finding – niches in a burgeoning market. CFLs (compact [...]

Irish firm using GPS system to transform navigation for blind (IT – 2nd July 2010)

An Irish company is testing new technology that could revolutionise navigation for the blind. Point The Way is conducting early tests of its phone application that helps visually impaired users follow GPS directions easily. The application uses a phone’s built-in GPS receiver and compass to gauge its location. It then vibrates when the phone is [...]

US firm marks 10 years in Donegal and keeps hiring (IT – 25th June 2010)

Pramerica Systems is committed to Ireland and is still hiring, according to executives visiting its Donegal offices yesterday. The company employs 700 people in Letterkenny and is marking 10 years in Ireland at a celebration in the town this week. Pramerica is the contact centre and software development division of US-based Prudential Financial, providing services [...]

O2 clients can leave without a penalty fee (IT – 25th June 2010)

Bill-pay customers on O2 have a rare opportunity to leave their contract without penalty thanks to some little-known European legislation. The network recently announced call tariff changes and, under EU law, it is required to give customers the option of leaving their agreement as a result. The rule is part of a 2003 regulation on [...]

Demise of the desktop (IT – 25th June 2010)

As an increasingly rare sight on retailers’ shelves, in people’s homes and even around the office, it is clear that the desktop computer is dying. So what is driving the demise of this once ever-present machine and does it have any hope of survival? Once expensive and unwieldy, the laptop is now the dominant player [...]

Irish firm to manage iPad payments for US network (IT – 11th June 2010)

Irish company Openet has announced the roll-out of a flexible data payment system for Apple’s iPad on a major US carrier, believed to be ATT. The company manages the transaction process that users are guided through when activating their iPad’s 3G connection and allows the network to provide fixed and ad hoc data packages. Prepay [...]