A more intuitive user interface will include the ability to swipe-control applications.

As well as a wholly redesigned app gallery for easier sharing of content the new OS will include faster response times that will be enhanced by HSPA 21Mbps or Wi-Fi connectivity.

New Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 to come with Face Unlock

Just like the Samsung Galaxy Nexus the Galaxy Tab 2 will feature Face Unlock, which uses facial recognition to unlock the tablet.

The Tab 2 will come with a Readers Hub that will connect users to over 2.3m e-books, 3,500 magazines and over 2,000 newspapers.

Samsung will also launch a new Video Hub which will offer over 1,000 film titles to rent or buy.

The tablet will also come with a new content sharing service called AllShare Play, which allows users to play or live-stream their multimedia content on tablet from PCs and other Samsung smart devices.

The new tablet will also come with iumproved voice calling capability, turning it into a second smartphone as well as conduct Google+ hangouts.

 In response to today's Action Plan announcement CPA president Gail McEvoy said that it was "important to recognise that Government cannot create jobs".

“ ... Government can only ever create an environment in which individuals have the confidence and the support necessary to commercialise ideas and start new businesses. Measures announced today will go some way towards that but we would welcome a formalised plan to encourage our young people to be the job creators of the future," explained McEvoy.

Ireland's young population and enterpreneurship

She touched on how 41pc of Ireland's population is under the age of 25. "What I don't see clearly addressed in this strategy is how the Government plans to position entrepreneurship as a viable career path for young people. Today's announcement is great progress, and the cross-departmental co-operation is to be applauded, however I would like to see it go one step further.

"I am calling for a working a party, led by Minister Bruton's Department to develop a National Entrepreneurship Strategy, which would align social, enterprise, industrial, taxation and educational policy in order to create and sustain an environment and culture which would be conducive to entrepreneurship," she explained.

Dissolving CEBs

McEvoy did welcome the Government's measure to dissolve County and City Enterprise Boards and instead create a new Micro-Enterprise and Small Business Unit in Enterprise Ireland.

"One of the recommendations in the CPA Entrepreneur Report 2010 was to examine the use of the City and County Enterprise Board network as the high street presence for a national enterprise support one-stop-shop up to and including absorption into Enterprise Ireland. I welcome moves announced today regarding the development of more streamlined support for business. I also welcome the broadening of Enterprise Ireland remit to support all individuals engaged in job creation activity and not only those engaged in manufacturing or exported enterprises," she said.

Micro-finance loan fund

Today's Action Plan also includes reference to a micro-finance loan fund of €100m over 10 years for start-ups and small businesses. The plan also includes a temporary partial loan guarantee scheme for businesses turned down for loans from their bank.

"These measures will prove to be a lifeline to many viable small businesses around the country, but only if administered in a timely and comprehensive fashion. Lack of credit is impacting cash flow, growth opportunities and ultimately jobs. Funds need to be allocated as a matter of urgency," said McEvoy.

Ireland's Action Plan for Jobs

 
The Government revealed today that:

• Business leaders, multinationals and large Irish companies will carry out increased mentoring of SMEs.
• In terms of Ireland's vast diaspora around the world, direct incentives will be provided to them to create jobs in Ireland.
• A Research Prioritisation Plan will be implemented to enact new laws aimed at the State's €500m annual research budget. The aim is to achieve more applied research, which has potential for commercialisation and job creation.

Key sectors

The Government is also targeting key sectors it sees as fuelling job creation and economic growth. Take cloud computing. There will be Cloud Computing Strategy for the Public Service and a research centre in cloud computing.

In terms of Ireland's digital games sector, the Government is set up a cluster development team around this industry. The Government is also establishing other industry clusters for targeted sectors. For example, it will be setting up a Manufacturing Development Forum.

Health tech is also a focus area. The Government will be pioneering a Health Innovation Hub to drive collaboration between the heath system and the life-sciences industry.

"The ultimate goal and top priority of Government has always been to get Ireland back to work," said Taoiseach Enda Kenny today.

The idea of a Government CIO was first mooted in 2009 by the then Taoiseach Brian Cowen.

However, since then there has been no appointment and the matter hasn't resolved itself since the new Government came to power last year.

The ultimate question is does the State need a CIO?

The real answer to this question appears to be no, because as revealed in December by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin TD a different tack will be taken in relation to the management of the State's IT assets.

As part of a proposed a set of plans that will see the number of people employed in the public sector drop by 37,500 to 282,500 by 2015, Howlin recommended appointing a Public Service CIO Council to assist and drive ICT and e-government initiatives across the public sector, beginning this quarter.

So, no State CIO - instead a Public Service CIO Council.

Time to learn the lessons of PPARS and move on

At the EMC event this afternoon Minister Rabbitte acknowledged that there is a need to break free of the 'silo mentality' that prevents State IT systems between various departments from talking to each other.

He said that plans are afoot to bring forward a Government Cloud Strategy and discussions are underway with various industry leaders. "In tandem with this we are working on a Cloud Computing Research Centre."

Rabbitte said that greater efficiencies are needed in terms of State IT and said that a new post code system that will give homes and businesses a "unique identifier" is about to go out to tender.

In relation to e-government and greater efficiencies that can be gained from cloud computing, Minister Rabbitte says its time to no longer allow the memory of IT failures like PPARS get in the way of progress.

“We hope that the system has learned and in terms of strategy we will be looking for the capacity of the cloud to help resolve issues that were unthinkable when PPARS was on board."

He asked openly was PPARS a system failure in Government or how the project was managed and delivered.

“These questions are being looked at."

Pointing for the need to use IT to ensure greater efficiencies in departments like Social Protection he said: "The investment would be minor given the annual €20bn budget [for that department] and we have to come up to speed to operate the system in a way it was designed rather than allowing waste or fraud to happen.

“A cloud for government could eliminate risk," Rabbitte added.

The 2010 earthquake itself measured 7.2 on the moment magnitude scale and supposedly lasted for about a minute and a half. It started 26 kilometres south of Guadalupe Victoria, Baja, California, in Mexico.

The geologists have used data from the earthquake and their findings have recently been published in Science. The team comprised scientists from the US, Mexico and China, including geophysicist Eric Fielding of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), which is based in Pasadena, California.

Michael Oskin, geology professor at the University of California, Davis, was the lead author of the study, which was funded by the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Geological Survey, Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (Mexico) and NASA.

Oskin said the researchers were able to make a detailed scan after the earthquake over about 363 sq kilometres in less than three days.

Fault zones and earthquakes

The scientists believe they have reported the most comprehensive before-and-after picture yet of an earthquake zone.

Fielding said the study provides new information on how rocks in and around fault zones are deformed during earthquakes.

"It helps scientists understand past events and assess the likelihood of future earthquakes in other complex systems of faults," he said.

Light detection and ranging

So how did they carry out the 3D mapping? The team of geologists worked with the National Center for Airborne Laser Mapping. They flew over the earthquake area near Mexicali with lidar (light detection and ranging). Such technology works by bouncing laser pulses off the ground and measures their reflection to determine the height of the surface.

NASA said today that new airborne lidar equipment can measure features in the surface height to within a few inches.

It was back in 2006 that the Mexican government mapped the area with lidar. When the earthquake occurred in 2010, Oskin and Ramon Arrowsmith at Arizona State University applied for and received funding from the National Science Foundation to carry out an immediate aerial survey of the previously mapped area.

By comparing pre- and post-earthquake surveys, the team said they could see exactly where the ground moved and by how much.

_{This 1.5 meter-high surface rupture, called a scarp, formed in just seconds along the Borrego fault during the magnitude 7.2 El Mayor Cucapah earthquake in northern Baja, California, on 4 April 2010. NASA says topographic surveys of the surrounding landscape reveal the complexity of earthquake deformation, including how this fault interacted with adjacent faults. Image by Centro de Investigacion Cientifica y de Educacion Superior de Ensenada (CICESE)}

Out of the blue

The 2010, the Mexicali earthquake did not occur on a major fault, like the San Andreas, but ran through a series of smaller faults in the Earth's crust, they said.

"This sort of earthquake happens out of the blue," explained Oskin.

He pointed to how the new lidar survey shows how seven of these small faults came together to cause a major earthquake.

NASA vehicles

NASA's JPL has been flying its airborne uninhabited aerial vehicle synthetic aperture radar (UAVSAR) over the California border region to measure ground deformation in the area since 2009. UAVSAR, which flies on a NASA Gulfstream III aircraft, uses a different technique – interferometric synthetic aperture radar – to measure ground deformation over large areas, according to the space agency.

Apparently, UAVSAR flew repeat GPS-guided passes over the California side of the border region twice in 2009 and six times since the Baja quake, imaging it and its continuing deformation since.

Fielding said NASA recently secured approvals from the Mexican government and began flying UAVSAR south of the California border over the Baja, California, earthquake zone in February 2012.

He said these flights will be conducted every three months to monitor fault movements.

Firstly, the innovation centre will allow indigenous SMEs and multinationals to test, develop and demonstrate apps that could be used by the public sector.

Secondly, it will provide public-sector departments and agencies with a platform to trial new cloud solutions and avoid costly IT blunders.

The centre will also promote Ireland as a leader in the cloud computing and big data industries and provide entrepreneurs and start-ups with an opportunity to vie for Government contracts that would have been out of reach.

EMC country manager Jason Ward said that big data is undergoing a "hockey stick" curve of growth and organisations need to transform what they do with the large volumes of data that are being generated and derive value.

“Think of the propagation of smartphones, they have outpaced PCs sales for the first time in the last year. Big data and cloud can take credit for a cognitive shift that's happening in organisations that are bringing together previously siloed departments. This is a wake-up call that there's a new type of thinking required. Cloud is driving operational efficiencies and big data will enable people to pick apart information and find the silver lining."

Communications Minister Pat Rabbitte said that in terms of the major investments by players like EMC, Microsoft, Google, Intel, IBM and others, Ireland is emerging as a global leader for cloud computing. "This can be a driver of innovation and growth.

“We intend to bring forward Government cloud strategies and we're working with industry players and employers."

Big data is a massive opportunity for small countries and small firms

Also present at the announcement was EMC's executive vice-president of human resources, Jack Mollen. "Ireland is a very important part of EMC. The talent Ireland has to offer the world is second to none."

Highlighting the importance of cloud computing and the economies and opportunities that can emerge for start-ups, Mollen said: "Six years ago, there were no consumer apps available via iTunes, for example. Today, there are half a million apps available, mostly built by small companies.

“The same phenomenon will happen to the enterprise and Government sectors.

“There will be platforms where its no longer necessary to have your own data centres, but you can utilise and share other people's platforms."

Mollen said the new innovation centre will facilitate not only the innovation of third-party Irish SME organisations, but will facilitate the testing and proof of integration between legacy and cloud applications.

“Until now in organisations like governments, there were systems that other departments couldn't use, that will change. To prove this point, we will open this up with a new development lab that will allow new software vendors to come in and build and sell software.

“This will be software that will not only be sold in Ireland but around the world, creating new jobs in Ireland," Mollen said.

The measures include dissolving County and City Enterprise Boards and instead creating a new Micro-Enterprise and Small Business Unit in Enterprise Ireland. This will work with local authorities to establish a new network of local enterprise offices in each local authority.

The plan says a new range of supports will be implemented for small and medium-sized businesses struggling to access credit, such as a €150m Development Capital Scheme aimed at mid-sized, high-growth indigenous companies with prospects for jobs and export growth.

A new Potential Exporters Division will be established in Enterprise Ireland to better support indigenous exporters. Up to €1.2m in extra funding per year will also be supplied for mentoring and management development networks.

There will be increased mentoring of SMEs by business leaders, multinationals and large Irish companies. The Government will also assist small businesses to engage in R&D and to win big contracts from the Government and large multinationals.

Direct incentives will be provided to members of the diaspora and others across the world to create jobs in Ireland.

The Government will implement a Research Prioritisation Plan and enact new laws aimed at the State’s €500m annual research budget towards more applied areas of research which has potential for commercialisation and job creation.

It will reduce costs, such as a request to Government department and agencies to identify charges levied on businesses that can be frozen or reduced for 24 months.

Sectors of growth

The Government will also target numerous sectors it believes will be major sources of job creation and economic growth.

A Cloud Computing Strategy for the Public Service will be created and a research centre in cloud computing will be established to boost this sector in the IT industry.

It will establish a cluster development team for digital games and will establish other industry clusters for targeted sectors.

A Manufacturing Development Forum will be established for the manufacturing sector and a Health Innovation Hub will be created to drive collaboration between the heath system and the life-sciences industry.

A Cross-Departmental Plan will be published and implemented for the green economy and the Government aims to win more investment from multinational food companies for the agri-food sector.

“The ultimate goal and top priority of Government has always been to get Ireland back to work,” said Taoiseach Enda Kenny.

“It is the all-consuming obsession of every cabinet minister at a time when we have never seen more people unemployed. Economic recovery has to be matched by a jobs recovery.  

“When the Government was first formed, we were presented with a series of urgent challenges that demanded immediate attention to stabilise the economy and restore a degree of confidence in Ireland. This was necessary for new investment and job growth.  

“Now we must do more. This is why Government has put together this Action Plan for Jobs. We will target specific sectors with new policy supports and improve the way Government interacts with businesses by cutting costs and red tape. I will ensure that Government works hard to deliver on this ambitious plan,” Kenny said.

The competition has a strong focus on cross-border links, as teams applying to the competition must include third-level students in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Successful applicants will spend nine weeks at Abertay University in Scotland this summer developing prototype video games and receiving mentoring from industry experts. They will also get a weekly stipend of stg£150 each, free accommodation in the university and a team budget of £200.

“This competition offers students a foot in the door of the gaming industry, which – without doubt – is one of the most exciting and booming industries in Ireland,” said Brennan. 

“Not only is it bucking the trend by creating jobs at a time of national recession, it is also continuously evolving in response to new technological developments. 

“Many of the jobs on offer in gaming today didn’t even exist four or five years ago.  And it’s not just those with technological or mathematical skills who should consider gaming as their choice of career – in addition to coders and programmers, it also presents opportunities for artists, designers, sound engineers, translators, marketers and animators,” he said.

At the end of the competition, the prototypes will be displayed at a talent showcasing event called 'Dare ProtoPlay', letting the general public and industry experts play and vote for their favourite games.

The three highest-scoring teams will receive prizes of stg£2,500 and the chance to attend the BAFTA Video Games Awards to compete for the ‘Ones to Watch’ award.

A stepping stone into the industry

“This is a very real opportunity for students to make a name for themselves within the games industry,” said Brennan.

“At Abertay, participating teams get to meet and work with mentors from some of the biggest names in gaming – companies like Sega, Sony and Rockstar. 

“In terms of career development, participating in this competition is invaluable – not only do students get fantastic networking and mentoring opportunities, but they also get to develop a prototype game, which for many of them goes on to present a viable business opportunity,” he said.

Nevermind Games experienced great benefits from Dare to be Digital, as the start-up games firm was established as a result of the competition.

“Two years ago, myself and four teammates competed in Dare,” said Alan Boyce, chief operating officer at Nevermind Games. 

“When we returned from Scotland, we set up as a games studio, establishing Nevermind Games. We were incorporated as a company last year, and we’re currently working on our first release for iOS, a 2-D puzzle game called TroubleSum." 

Nevermind Games has been accepted onto LIT’s LEAP enterprise acceleration programme and will be looking for investment in the coming months. Boyce said the company will also attend the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco in March to increase its profile with international companies.

“None of this would have happened if we hadn’t participated in Dare. We received excellent mentoring at Abertay, and the encouragement and experience we received were instrumental in us deciding to establish our company,” he said.

Jamie McCormick, marketing manager at free-to-play multiplayer online games publisher Gala Networks Europe believes that, from an employer’s perspective, Dare to be Digital is a huge asset to a CV.

“If somebody approaches us who has participated in the competition, we know they have experience of working in an environment that simulates the real day-to-day working environment of the games industry,” said McCormick.

“Many participants will get jobs straight out of the competition, or go on to publish the prototype games they have developed. In these days of self-publishing, a competition like this allows students to potentially launch a successful game before they have even graduated from college.  Or they can approach a publisher – like Gala – with their prototype game.

“At present, I’m sure it can be a bit depressing for students who are approaching the end of their college years – all they hear about is unemployment, recession and emigration.

“But the gaming industry – right here in Ireland – has hundreds of vacancies. In Gala alone, we have more than trebled in size over the past four years. This is a young, exciting and vibrant industry, and I would strongly encourage students to consider the great career opportunities it presents,” he said.

During the VV01 mission, a large amount of data was collected on Vega's performance, as well as the environment experienced by the payloads.

Its reference mission is 1,500 kg into a 700 km-high circular sun-synchronous orbit. Vega's light launch capacity can accommodate a range of satellites - from 300 kg to 2500 kg - into a variety of orbits, ranging from equatorial to sun-synchronous.

The ESA said this morning that Vega will add to Europe's set of launch services next to the existing Ariane 5 heavy lifter and the Soyuz medium-class launcher.

Operating from French Guiana, the ESA said the three launchers will improve the efficiency of Europe's launch infrastructure, as they can share its operating costs over many launches.  
 
The ESA said the Vega programme will now enter a new phase, called VERTA: the Vega Research, Technology and Accompaniment programme.

The next flight is scheduled for early 2013, when the Vega will carry ESA's Proba-V remote sensing satellite and multiple auxiliary payloads.

Jean-Jacques Dordain, ESA director-general, said this morning that today's launch was a great day for ESA, its member states, and especially for Italy, where Vega was born.

“In a little more than three months, Europe has increased the number of launchers it operates from one to three, widening significantly the range of launch services offered by the European operator Arianespace. There is not anymore one single European satellite which cannot be launched by a European launcher service," said ESA head Dordain this morning.

Antonio Fabrizi, ESA's director of Launchers, spoke about how, in less than a decade, the Vega project became a reality.

He said the ESA had the technical support of the Italian and French space agencies, plus about 40 industrial companies co-ordinated by the prime contractor ELV SpA.

Vega launcher development started in 2003. Seven member states contributed to the programme - Belgium, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

European effort 

“Today is a moment of pride for Europe, as well as those around 1,000 individuals who have been involved in developing the world's most modern and competitive launcher system for small satellites," said Fabrizi.

Arianespace, its commercial operator, has already signed the first commercial contract for Vega. The ESA has confirmed more contracts are being negotiated.

After an open competition, Arianespace was awarded the contract in December to launch the Sentinel-2B and Sentinel-3B satellites on the Vega launcher. This launch will be part of ESA's Global Monitoring for Environment and Security programme.

The court is expected to make a ruling within a few months.

While Samsung and Apple have been involved with several smartphone patents across the globe, this case could be seen as an attack on Android 4.0.

Each year, Google collaborates with a mobile manufacturer to create a smartphone piloting the latest version of Android. These devices have a stock version of the operating system installed without any skins or modifications overlaying it.

In 2011, Google worked with Samsung to make the Galaxy Nexus. In this case, many of the patents refer to software, meaning Google may have to remove potentially infringing functionalities from the OS if the injunction is granted.

Apple currently has another lawsuit against Samsung in the same federal district, requesting a preliminary injunction based on its intellectual property.

At the start of the month, a German court rejected the ban of the Galaxy Nexus and the Galaxy 10.1N, though that case revolved around a touchscreen patent.

Speaking today, UCC president Dr Michael Murphy said the aim of the new diploma in cloud strategy would be to equip managers with the expertise to develop cloud strategies that deliver bottom-line value.

And the Government is also making cloud moves. Just today, Ireland's Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Pat Rabbitte, TD, will be launching a new cloud and big data initiative called Cloud4Gov at Science Gallery at Trinity College Dublin. The aim of this initiative will be to give departments and agencies across the public sector the option to store, access, share and analyse their information in a private Government cloud. EMC has worked with the Government to pioneer Cloud4Gov, while IDA Ireland is also supporting the initiative. 

Who is the cloud diploma aimed at?

The cloud course is targeted at technical and non-technical managers, entrepreneurs and graduates with industry experience.

As part of the programme, every participant will develop a "cloud strategy blueprint" for their organisation, said IMI executive chairman Dr Phil Nolan.

The diploma is also the first programme under UCC/IMI's master of business qualification to incorporate an industry partnership.

Senior specialists at Microsoft will be giving workshops, alongside classroom discussion with UCC and IMI experts.

Microsoft Ireland's managing director Paul Rellis spoke about how leveraging cloud-based opportunities requires a new way of thinking about information and its value to any organisation.

The part-time course will begin in April at the IMI's National Management Campus in Sandyford, Co Dublin. The IMI said the diploma can also act as a stepping stone to a full master of business qualification.

Siliconrepublic.com is hosting Skills February, a month dedicated to news, reports, interviews and videos covering a range of topics on the digital skills debate.

From the Mac computers on which artists engineered their records to digital movie making via Pixar and Jobs' correct identification of the confluence of broadband, computers and mobile storage leading to the arrival of the iPod and iTunes, his input has indeed been enormous.

The Grammy, awarded to Jobs four months after his death, was accepted by Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice-president of internet software and services.

Accepting the award Cue said of Jobs: "He told us that music shaped his life; it made him who he was.

“Everyone who knows Steve knows the profound impact that artists like Bob Dylan and the Beatles had on him," Cue said.

Minister for Justice Alan Shatter has pointed out that while not all of the stations were networked, they could still use secure voice requirements to carry out operational requirements.

The revelation is worrying when you consider how much crime today involves the use of digital technologies, such as broadband and mobile devices.

These technologies could either be the conduit through which crime occurs or is organised, and provide the means through which evidence may be gathered.

While the gardai have specialist units who can use technology to combat crimes such as child pornography, violence, incitement to hatred, stalking and human or drug trafficking, access to the internet for efficiency's sake surely matters?

Add local knowledge to a situation that may be brewing on a social network or something that appears in a YouTube video and surely you have a potent additional weapon in the average garda's arsenal?

US data centre provider Digital Realty Trust has acquired a 10-acre site in West Dublin that will be capable of supporting a massive 193,000 sq-foot data centre requiring 11.5 megawatts of electricity.

The site at Profile Park is 24 kilometres southwest of Dublin Airport. It is part of a growing digital cluster in Clondalkin that includes Telecity Europe as well as Microsoft's US$500m data centre and the latest US$75m data centre built by Google.

“Dublin remains an important data centre market for both local and multinational corporations, including large technology and internet companies, as well as IT service providers," said Michael F Foust, CEO of Digital Realty.

“Using our phased development approach, this site will enable us to support our customers' expanding data centre needs by bringing data centre space online efficiently in terms of both time and cost."

US likely to OK Google acquisition of Motorola Mobility

The US Department of Justice is likely to formally approve Google’s acquisition of Motorola Mobility as early as this week.

Last year, internet search and advertising giant Google and Motorola Mobility entered into an agreement whereby Google was to acquire Motorola Mobility for US$40 per share in cash, or about US$12.5bn.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the US Department of Justice is poised to OK the deal.

Since beginning the acquisition process, Google has been clear that it does not intend to become a clone of Apple in controlling the hardware and software ecosystem of new devices like smartphones and tablet computers end to end, but would rather seek licensing agreements.

Govt and firms could save €240m through e-invoicing

The Irish Government and Irish businesses could save up to €240m a year by moving to electronic invoicing, it emerged as the State launches its first e-invoicing pilot. This will mean fewer administrative hurdles in Government agencies and firms will benefit by getting paid on time.

Brian Hayes, TD, the Minister for State with special responsibility for the Office of Public Works, has kick started a Government e-invoicing pilot involving a number of public-sector bodies and several technology companies.

The National Procurement Service will oversee the project and the Institute of Technology in Sligo will provide research and technical co-ordination.

Nokia to cut 4,000 manufacturing jobs globally

Nokia will cut 4,000 manufacturing employees at factories in Hungary, Mexico and Finland in order to shift device assembly to Asia, where most of its component suppliers are based.

The three factories in Komarom in Hungary, Reynosa in Mexico and Salo in Finland will now focus on smartphone product customisation for consumers in Europe and America. As a result, the amount of work carried out at these sites will decrease significantly, impacting 4,000 employees.

Staff cuts will be phased through to the end of 2012 and Nokia will offer a support programme for affected employees, such as financial support and assistance with local re-employment.

Microsoft appoints new corporate VP of Worldwide Public Sector

Laura K Ipsen is joining software giant Microsoft as corporate vice-president of its Worldwide Public Sector organisation.

Ipsen will lead the company's sales and marketing organisation serving government, public safety and national security, education and non-privatised healthcare customers in more than 100 countries.

She will report to Susan Hauser, corporate vice-president of the Worldwide Enterprise & Partner Group.

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Accounting software giant Sage’s payments division Sage Pay has acquired Dublin payments technology company Integral for €20m.

Integral will be rebranded as Sage Pay and will be fully integrated into the Sage Pay business. All of Integral's 40 employees will be retained within Sage Pay.

Integral was founded in 1989, and provides services to SME retailers that have either standalone or integrated electronic point of sale (EPOS) payments requirements. Its solutions are used at more than 30,000 points-of-sale in the UK and Ireland and its platform has processed 87m transactions in the last 12 months, with a value of €5bn.

Integral specialises in transaction processing/switching services for SMEs via a centrally hosted platform that is integrated with all UK and Irish acquiring banks.

Sage Pay works with more than 36,000 businesses, providing both e-commerce and mail order/telephone order solutions. The acquisition of Integral will give Sage Pay the capability to integrate cardholder present solutions with its current e-commerce gateway, opening up new possibilities to provide connected multi-channel services.

This will enable customers to accept card payments however and wherever they run their businesses - be it online, in-store, at a trade show or from a market stall.

Unified comms player ShoreTel buys M5 Networks

IP telephony player ShoreTel has acquired M5 Networks, a pioneer in hosted unified comms, in a cash and shares deal valued at US$146.3m.

Under the term of the deal M5 shareholders will receive US$84m in cash and 9.5m shares of ShoreTel stock.

A further US$13.7m in 'contingent payments' may be paid over the next two years if certain performance milestones are met.

“The acquisition of M5 positions ShoreTel as a leader in the fast-growing cloud UC market and delivers a suite of hosted telephony solutions that is unmatched in the marketplace," said Peter Blackmore, CEO of ShoreTel.

Irish online dating player snaps up Maybefriends.com

Webdev, the company behind Ireland’s largest online dating site Anotherfriend.com, has acquired another Irish dating site Maybefriends.com from Saongroup. The deals of the financial transaction have not been disclosed.

Gráinne Barry, managing director of Anotherfriend.com, said that the site currently has a 60pc market share of the Irish online dating market. She said that the acquisition of Maybefriends.com will enable Anotherfriend to provide a separate service offering to the Irish market.

Anotherfriend.com gets over 12.8 million page impressions and 290,000 unique visitors each month.

Oracle to acquire Taleo

Computer hardware systems and enterprise software products developer Oracle has entered into an agreement to acquire cloud-based talent management provider Taleo for about US$1.9bn, net of Taleo’s cash and debt.

The deal is expected to close mid-year 2012, subject to Taleo stockholder approval, certain regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.

Taleo’s Talent Management Cloud is designed to help organisations attract, develop, motivate and retain staff to improve performance and drive growth.

Through the acquisition, the companies expect to create a comprehensive cloud offering for organisations to manage their human resource operations and employees' careers.

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The new system provides Canar with an integrated billing and routing optimisation solution, based around a single core database architecture with fully harmonised reference data management.

“As the Sudanese telecom market is becoming increasingly competitive, the implementation of the i-conX routing optimisation solution is considered as an important step for Canar to maintain its leading status," Canar's CEO Ali Ahmed Yarouf said.

“The i-conX solution will support the growth of Canar international traffic with enhanced quality and better management.''

Canar is a subsidiary of Etisalat Group (UAE), which owns 18 telecom operators around the world.

The finalists will be invited to pitch to more than 400 investors, entrepreneurs and professionals. A further three runners-up will get the chance to exhibit at the event for free.

"This is a great opportunity to reward some of the emerging entrepreneurs in Ireland,” said Paddy Cosgrave, organiser of the Dublin Web Summit.

“There's so much happening in Dublin's start-up scene so it's always good to get an opportunity to catch up with some of the newer companies. We can't wait to hear from our three finalists at the Start Summit on Wednesday,” he said.

The Start Summit emerged from the Dublin Web Summit, which takes place in October, to help unite Ireland’s start-up sector. Oren Michels, CEO and co-founder of Mashery is the keynote speaker at the event.

There are still tickets available for the event and people can still vote for their favourite start-ups.

Eason is using its Pinterest account to show off its range of books. It has 26 boards, including one for best Valentine’s Day books, one for the top 10 books chart, one for best children’s books and one for the top 10 e-books.

“We are very excited to be the first Irish brand on Pinterest and really value the role it will play in our overall e-commerce strategy going forward given that the site has quickly become one of the most popular social media portals for consumers to visit prior to visiting retailer websites, like Easons.com,” said David Field, head of marketing at Eason.

“Eason’s online presence is a huge priority for 2012. We are continually improving the online shopping experience at Easons.com and together with our recently launched Facebook page and Twitter account, we’re ensuring one of Ireland’s oldest and best-loved brands is just as relevant, if not more so, in today’s social world,” he said.

Writing in the Sunday Independent, technology entrepreneur Chris Horn echoed a previously made point that if you think technology jobs are booming in Ireland right now, we could still have generated a whole lot more - 13,000 more - if people studied the right subjects at college over the past decade.

Horn wrote how last year was one of the best years in the history of the IDA. A record 248 new investments were won, against fierce international competition and despite our generally negative economic commentary.

“There was a 30pc increase in the number of companies investing in Ireland for the very first time, choosing this country over alternative locations. Job losses from IDA-supported companies were at their lowest in over a decade, leading to the best net jobs increase in over 10 years.

“And yet it could have been so much better."

Horn pointed to a live interview on RTÉ's News at One on 5 January. The CEO of the IDA, Barry O'Leary, noted that "there would have been more than 13,000 new jobs last year if there had been a greater availability in the skills arena".

Horn said he was surprised the Government, the Opposition and the media did not focus on this critical observation.

“At a time of high unemployment, huge emigration and cancerous national disillusionment, the head of the major State agency for inward investment asserts that new jobs and employment were held back only because of the lack of available people - and yet few seemed to hear, comment or respond to his message."

Crazy paving around privacy issues disrupts Path's progress

The New York Times' Nick Bilton covered the fallout over revelations last week that social app Path uploads data from users' iPhone address books to its servers. Bilton emphasised how dangerous this kind of information can be. Think Arab Spring.

Bilton reported how last week, Arun Thampi, a programmer in Singapore, discovered that the mobile social network Path was surreptitiously copying address book information from users' iPhones without notifying them.

David Morin, Path's chief executive, commented on Thampi's blog that Path's actions were an "industry best practice." He then became quiet as the internet disagreed and erupted in outrage. Amid his silence, he did take the time to reply to the actress Alyssa Milano, who was one of hundreds who questioned Path's practices. (His reply to her via Twitter contained his personal e-mail address.)

Bilton says Morin seemed unconcerned about how people could be harmed by his company's carelessness. Consider this: Amira El Ahl, a foreign journalist covering the Middle East, said bloggers in Egypt and Tunisia are often approached online by people who are state security in disguise.

The most sought-after bounty for state officials: dissidents' address books, to figure out who they are in cahoots with, where they live and information about their family. In some cases, this information leads to roundups and arrests.

To understand cloud, understand Dropbox

The San Jose Mercury News' Chris O'Brien wrote a nice story that not only explained how cloud app Dropbox works but focused on how this simple-to-use utility lies at the heart of what cloud computing is all about.

Dropbox is the most deceptively simple of services. Place a Dropbox folder on each computer or gadget you own. Drag any file into that folder. A copy of that file automatically appears on every device where you put a Dropbox folder. It's idiot proof.

But don't let that simplicity fool you. Dropbox also epitomises a revolutionary shift that is transforming our relationship to technology and turning the technology industry upside down: Cloud computing.

The "cloud" has been one of Silicon Valley's biggest buzz phrases for a couple of years now. In the past year, it has moved from the talk of tech insiders into the minds of mainstream users, thanks to the launch of services like Apple's iCloud.

We are the network

The Observer's John Naughton wrote an interesting article about how networked the world has become and really, no one just surfs the internet anymore, they're always switched on.

Naughton wrote how David Weinberger has a new book out entitled Too Big to Know, in which he argues that one of the implications of a comprehensively networked society is that the nature of knowledge itself is changing.

"As knowledge becomes networked," he writes, "the smartest person in the room isn't the person standing at the front lecturing us, and isn't the collective wisdom of those in the room. The smartest person in the room is the room itself: the network that joins the people and ideas in the room, and connects to those outside of it ... Knowledge is becoming inextricable from - literally unthinkable without - the network that enables it."

Has the internet become a schoolyard for bullies?

The Sunday Independent carried the views of a 16-year-old who outlined how insidious and damaging bullying can be via social media, and while online bullying in Ireland hasn't reached the levels it has in the US or UK, it is something that needs to be watched.

“When I first went online, the level of abuse was minimal enough but certainly from third year onwards the level of bitchiness grew and grew.

“Often, the person would update their Facebook status and say something nasty. While it mightn't mention any names, the implication was clear. Those who would see the status update would know the meaning of the bitchy comment.

“I have seen girls in my year get upset by what was written about them, though rarely would it lead to a face-to-face confrontation in the classroom or in the schoolyard.

“In my experience, it is girls who are engaged in this nasty cycle of attacking each other. Boys of our age in our circle of friends don't do any of this, and certainly not to any of the girls.

“I have never had to get my parents involved but I know of several girls who had to delete their Facebook accounts because they were being attacked online," the teenager wrote.

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Sony’s next CEO Kazuo Hirai has suggested the company is looking into using the PlayStation Vita’s operating system for other mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets.

The Verge reports that Hirai told reporters in Japan that the Vita OS could be seen as a mobile platform and not just one for gaming.

SCE’s senior vice-president Yoshio Matsumoto reportedly said it would be possible to expand the OS onto smartphones and tablets while catering for gaming needs. However, he emphasised that Sony was not applying it to other devices right now but noted it was designed to be expandable.

The PlayStation Vita will be released on 22 February.

Apple discontinues white MacBook

Apple has stopped offering its white MacBook range to educational institutes, meaning the product has officially been discontinued.

MacRumors reports that Apple has told resellers it has ended the distribution channel for the product, classifying it as “End of Life.”

Last year, Apple stopped selling the white MacBook to consumers, offering the MacBook Pro range and the MacBook Air range for its laptop offerings.

Microsoft India store hacked, passwords leaked

The Microsoft India online store, owned and operated by Quasar Media and not Microsoft, has been hacked and a list of user names and passwords for accounts has been released.

WPSauce reports that a Chinese hacker group called EvilShadow team has taken credit for the attack. The site reportedly kept passwords stored in plain text, helping the hackers gain easy access to them.

Quasar Media was “appointed by Microsoft to own, maintain and operate” the online store, according to its terms of use.

The store now carries a statement, saying it is unavailable. It says Microsoft is working to restore access to it as quickly as possible and it apologises for any inconvenience.

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The plan, which contains more than 250 measures, focuses on competition, the financial services sector, supporting indigenous businesses, and encouraging foreign direct investment.

The Government would also like to encourage more co-operation with companies in the life sciences area, with nine out of the top 10 global pharmaceutical companies operating out of Ireland, the Irish Times reported.

Phelan started Cubic Telecom in 2007 originally to allow business travellers access SIMs that guaranteed low-cost roaming. Today, Maxroam SIMs are sold in more than 350,000 retail outlets around the world.

As part of the MVNO deal, Cubic customers living in the UK will benefit from the Vodafone network and local rates.

In addition, Cubic customers from all over the world will be able to use their mobile to call from the UK to any other country for 15c per minute.

Cubic will also be providing low-cost data bundles so visitors to the UK can stay connected to the internet at all times during their stay.

“This supports our strategy of recruiting the right growth partners into our business,” Nick Parbutt, Vodafone’s UK’s director of Wholesale explained. “We look forward to building success with Cubic.”

A part of the deal, users can choose from a suite of data bundles starting at 250MB for €6 which will give them access to thousands of Facebook posts, tweets and emails.

“This deal with Vodafone UK is the first of many which will propel us further to achieving our vision of a global connectivity service that gives customers convenience, simple connectivity and cost savings all on one global prepaid Sim card,” said Gerry McQuaid, Cubic Telecom’s commercial director.

Tucows Inc

Tuesday, 14 February:

Zynga Inc

Wednesday, 15 February:

Blue Coat Systems Inc

Thursday, 16 February:

Baidu Inc

Friday, 17 February:

Opti Inc

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PaJR has honed its technologies to target care management providers who offer outbound calls to hospitals in order to support patients after they have been discharged from hospitals or who have been identified as being at risk of hospitilisation.

And the company is fast making waves in the US healthcare space. Just last October PaJR spent some time in Silicon Valley where it met with venture capitalists. The result was PaJR positioned itself for a Series A round later in 2012. And the Silicon Valley trip was also the trigger for getting onto the Healthbox start-up accelerator. Coincidentally, PaJR is the only non-US start-up engaged in Healthbox.

"We made contact with Sandbox Ventures, which runs the HealthBox accelerator out of Chicago," explains Madden.

TCD campus company

PaJR itself has eclectic roots. The project was transitioned out of the National Digital Research Centre (NDRC) last September, having completed the Catalyser programme there. The team then went on to form a new Trinity College Dublin (TCD) campus company called Cara Health with Dr Carmel Martin, Professor Carl Vogel, Professor Lucy Hederman, Kevin Smith, Brendan Madden and Enda Madden as co-founders.

So how did the idea for PaJR come about?

Enda Madden says that much of the clinical theory underpinning PaJR's technology was spawned from the work of one of the start-up's co-founders Dr Carmel Martin, who has experience in international health systems, both as a practicing physician and as public health policy-maker.

"Her academic research focused on the application of complex adaptive systems theory to the development of care management models for frail elderly patients with multiple chronic illness."

He says the company originally set out to look at extending the functionality of personal health records (PHRs).

Explains Madden: "PHRs are not yet widely used, especially amongst frail elderly patients. We then looked at utilising speech recognition over the phone to provide the input for our analytics. However in many cases, patients' conversations were difficult to analyse, as speech recognition was not sufficiently advanced particularly to deal with the impact of congestive heart failure. At that point we were learning about the rapidly growing market of outbound call services from care management providers driven by new legislation in the US and UK that penalising hospitals who do not reduce their avoidable admission rates especially within 30 days of post-discharge from hospital."

Madden is also the founder of another health start-up in Ireland called GroupNos Technologies, which was set up in 2008.

It was while studying for his undergraduate degree in computer science, linguistics and French at TCD that Madden first met Professor Carl Vogel, who was his course director.

"We've known each other for some time. After graduating from TCD in 2002 I worked as a software engineer in the US and The Netherlands before returning to Ireland in 2007," explains Madden.

Getting onto the Healthbox accelerator

But what exactly is so unique about PaJR that has attracted the attention of Healthbox in Chicago?

"Our platform combines voice data gathered from phone calls to patients conducted by non-clinical call operatives with artificial intelligence (machine learning) algorithms. Our highly predictive analytics generates alerts of future unplanned events such as hospitalisation. This facilitates early intervention by the care team to manage these unplanned events," explains Madden.

He says that the only technology a patient requires is a phone.

"Our system incorporates the patients needs, along with factors such as illness, medication, medical and healthcare, social, environmental and health promotion. These all feed into our predictive model."

Connected health sector

Enterprise Ireland has also been a great support, according to Madden.

"Connected health has been identified as a key growth area by Enterprise Ireland for indigenous technology companies. We also hope to expand our current pilot sites in Ireland with the support of the HSE.

So how did PaJR manage to get a spot on the inaugural three-month Healthbox start-up accelerator in Chicago?
"After being shortlisted out of several hundred online applicants we had a Skype interview. This led to our selection in the top 10 pitches and we were delighted to be the only non-US company in this group," says Madden.

Goals for 2012

And PaJR's key goals for 2012 include setting up test sites in North America as part of its customer discovery and development activities. The company is also hoping to raise the aforementioned Series A funding round by Q3 2012. Healthbox has been a tremendous help on all three fronts, according to Madden.

"They are offering us access to healthcare providers and payers through their co-investors in the programme such as BlueCross BlueShield, Ridgeview Medical and Ascension Health, the largest non-profit hospital network in the US.

"We're also working on design and development activities with the world famous design agency IDE," he explains.

Healthbox itself has a mentor network of over 70 mentors, which is providing the 10 engaged start-ups with strategic advice.

And of the best part of being on the programme is that PaJR will be involved in an investor day in April at Healthbox. That's when each of the 10 companies will have an opportunity to pitch to a group of over 300 healthcare investors from all over the US, and further afield.

Longer-term goals

So are there any other plans in the pipeline for PaJR?

"We are also customising our solution for payer systems that services for the frail elderly population such as Medicare Advantage programmes in the US," explains Madden. And he says the company is also aiming to customise its system for cancer care and behavioral health services.

"Our longer-term plan is to offer sentiment analysis on our large population data sets about particular drugs, medical devices and health services. This is of particular interest to manufacturers and healthcare tech investors," he says.

Finally, Madden's advice for other tech start-ups in Ireland right now is spend as much time as possible with your target market.

"Develop your relationships with potential investors before you need investment and listen. The less you talk and spent listening to valuable feedback and suggestions the better!" he adds.

Quoting people familiar with the new line up the report described the new MacBook Pro line-up as akin to MacBook Air ultrabooks.

The move is likely to distance Apple once again from the competition, which are scrambling to bring out ultrabook computers.

With the latest Intel Core i5 and Core i7 dual-core processors and ThunderBolt technology, the current generation MacBook Air also features Intel HD Graphics 3000 and offers up to 4GB of faster 1,333 MHz memory. Intel predicts that as much as 20pc of all notebook sales this year will be ultrabook-style machines.

Recent reports suggested Apple was developing a new ultra-thin 15-inch notebook computer. Could this be the shape of the next generation of MacBook Pro machines?

The laptop/notebook has emerged as the mostly widely owned mobile communication and computing product among CXOs in Europe, with an impressive 98 percent of the surveyed population using or owning one, finds Frost & Sullivan’s recent survey. More than 75 percent of CXOs surveyed have one tablet computer, while 20 percent report owing two or more tablet computers citing family needs, business/private use, and different locations.

CXOs want their laptop/notebook to work every time they use it and that all other features are secondary compared to reliability and product quality. Dell continues to be the most owned brand of laptop/notebook since 2009; however, European CXOs perceive Apple as the best brand.

PC ownership is declining

“Compared to Frost & Sullivan’s 2009 research, desktop personal computer ownership is declining, while tablet computerownership is rising,” says Christina Alfaro, Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst with Frost & Sullivan’s Customer Research Team.

Nearly all CXOs report owning/using Apple tablet computers, which are largely bought directly from manufacturers. Similar to laptops, the most important attributes in a tablet computer are reliability, overall quality, and screen clarity. The majority of CXOs have e-readers or use tablets as e-readers. More than eight out of ten of them use their e-readers during leisure time or business travel.

According to the survey, there has been a dip in the use of smartphones for purely business purposes in 2011 compared to 2009, as smartphones are also popular for personal purposes. “Overall, European CXOs perceive wireless communication and battery life as the most important smartphone features,” notes Alfaro. “However, most CXOs also rate overall quality and ease-of-use very highly, while security and applications compatibility are viewed as less important.”

In 2011, the most owned brand of smartphones was Apple, while in 2009, it was Blackberry. As ownership increased for Apple, it declined for Nokia, HTC, and Sony Ericsson. Most CXOs perceive Apple smartphones as the overall best brand of smartphones, followed by BlackBerry.

“Ah it's good to be home at the Mammie's, I look up from the laptop and my tea has gone. I didn't drink the scalding cup fast enough ..."
-      Damien Mulley, owner of Mulley Communications and organiser of the Web Awards and Social Media Awards

“We have a nine-year-old in Cork CoderDojo who is better at Javascript now than most people I know will ever be ...”
-      Bill Liao, social networking entrepreneur and philanthropist

“Had a big glass of acai and pomegranate juice this AM. Now lit up like a candle. Red Bull has nothing on this stuff ...”
-      Chuck Hollis, EMC CTO and blogger

“Eating pizza in Sao Paulo, where they seem to bring each slice out one at a time, silver service style.”
-      Ben Hammersley, editor at large of the UK edition of WIRED magazine 

“The 6yo interrogates Siri: ‘what's the weather for next year?’"
-      Charles Arthur, The Guardian’s technology editor

“A bad decision, a bad moment, or even a bad day does not define you. Shrug it off and get after it again!”
-      Art Jonak, CEO, Network Professionals

“Sitting in the middle of a rather remote and very frozen Caroga Lake at the races and managed to find open Wi-Fi. What a wonderful world.”
-      Tim Stevens, Engadget’s editor-in-chief

“Nobody who's ever worn a suit to an interview for Giz has ever been a good fit. I still give them the shot, but never proven wrong.”
-      Matt Buchanan, editor at Gizmodo

Key to the system rolled out at Capital Management Bermuda is a new client services site that will handle communications across the company's portfolio and specifically includes a range of learning and forms based information capture tools.

“Our online presence is a key part of how customers now interact with us," Tom Williams CEO of Capital Management Bermuda explained.

“This new system enables us to roll out more services and products, and allows us to build on the successful interaction with our customers. We are already seeing significant cost savings alongside improvements in communication."

Content management in the cloud

The solution will use pTools System 6 which was released in 2011 and leverages the latest cloud computing infrastructure to ensure scalability and performance. pTools System6 is available on the Fort Technologies Cloud as well as Microsoft Azure and Amazon Oracle Cloud platforms.

“Use of online systems to manage and maintain information based relationships not only replaces the traditional paper trail, but dramatically improves governance, reduces risk, and enforces compliance," the CEO of pTools Keith Wood explained.

“pTools allows customers to quickly build secure membership environments online and tailor web forms for different audiences and channels. This information once captured can then be delivered to back-end systems for immediate analysis."

While it would be the best part of a year before I would get to spend significant time with the XOOM, it was in my mind the only contender that Apple's iPad franchise had at that point.

The differences, however, between the first generation XOOM and the new XOOM 2 are incredibly stark.

The XOOM was a robust, sturdy tablet computer that really brought Android to life on the tablet form factor. The XOOM 2 has Android roaring with life - it feels complete, tangible and solid.

John Kennedy checks out Motorola’s latest tablet computer the XOOM 2 

But the differences: first of all the XOOM 2 is much lighter than its predecessor and this time round Motorola has dispensed with the cold steel backing and has gone for a much smoother, lighter more elegant material.

The computer has an octagonal shape with subtle curves at each corner and it just looks more discrete and slick than its predecessor.

Also in terms of charging and synching the device, Motorola has thankfully begun using a mini-USB port that sits right beside the HDMI port.

The differences don't stop there. The 10.1-inch display is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass and a special splash resistant coating.

Colours seem brighter, crisper and sharper on the XOOM 2 than on its predecessor.

The need for speed

A real standout difference is of course the speed. The device comes with a 1.2GHz dual-core processor and has 1GB of RAM.

I have to say I was very impressed with the XOOM 2's 5-megapixel camera which took really vivid photos that displayed beautifully on the 10.1 screen. Around the front there's a 1.3-megapixel camera which is perfect for video conferencing via Skype or doing Google Hangouts.

The Android 3.2 (Honeycomb) tablet computer is capable of up to 10 hours of battery life. I actually found it to be very battery efficient and rarely had to charge it up. Very impressive.

The only niggle, and this is a minor niggle, was the 'on' button. On the first generation XOOM the 'on' button was at the back and it took a bit of fumbling to find it. If you're used to Apple's iPad there's one button to activate the screen and it's right there at the front, but in these litigious days I'd imagine every manufacturer has to be different. So with the XOOM 2 what Motorola has done is shift the 'on' button to the right hand side. While it still takes a bit of fumbling to find the tiny button at least Motorola has redeemed itself in my eyes by grouping the volume controls right next to the 'on' button. Like I said, a minor niggle.

The speed of the XOOM 2's 1.2GHz is very obvious, leading to a very elegant computing experience.

Another factor worth mention is the perceived gap between apps choices for Android devices and iOS devices is closing ... quite rapidly in fact. The Android Market now delivers many of the mainstream apps you would come to expect such as Netflix, Dropbox, Evernote, etc.

Mind you I'm still waiting for Instagram to arrive on Android and would love to see how it would manifest on a device like the XOOM 2.

All in all, the XOOM 2 is a great statement of intent by Motorola. It will not disappoint.

It's available in the UK and Ireland at Carphone Warehouse, Currys and PC World for around €474 (stg£396).

Once a fortnight during Edible, Science Gallery will have a rotating guest list of designers, chefs and artists who will host dinners for the public. The aim is to explore the relationship between food and geographical location.

But the most striking thing about the exhibit is the huge inflatable stomach resembling a bouncy castle that greets you at the start of the exhibit. Kids are sure to love this particular exhibit as they can take off their shoes and explore how the digestive system functions! Known as the 'Gas Bag' this exhibit was created by Andy Best and Merja Puustinen from Finland. The three-metre high inflatable stomach will actually sonically respond to your movements, as you explore its insides. Once inside the digestive system sculpture, you can throw soft items symbolising pills, bacteria and acid at each other to induce more digestive systems gurgles.

There's also a captivating wall exhibit that explores the world community of eaters. It takes Ireland's 4.5m eaters and looks at how we fit in terms of world consumption of particular foods, in comparison with other countries and continents. The food mural also looks at obesity.

_{Pictured at the launch of Edible at the Science Gallery is Julian Abraham with his exhibit Kapitan Biopunk: Fermentation Madness. Photo by Patrick Bolger Photography}
 
An exhibit that I found enthralling was all about fermentation. The exhibit, Kapitan Biopunk: Fermentation Madness was the genesis of Julian Abraham from Indonesia. Inspired by how Indonesia raise its excise duty in 2010 Abraham set about exploring the rapid increase in people brewing their own alcohol at home.

The sound installation features many larges containers fermenting different coloured liquids, from apple juice to pineapple juice.  The public can actually listen live to the fermentation process, as yeast transforms sugar into ethanol and CO2. Abraham wishes to communicate via the installation the dangers people in Indonesia are sometimes putting themselves under by fermenting their own alcohol. Sometimes the process can go wrong, resulting in methanol being created rather than ethanol. In Indonesia there have been many reported fatalities as a result of home brewing.

Another interesting exhibit was Le Whaf, the brainchild of Franco-American scientist and creator David Edwards and French designer Marc Bretillot. A large see-through cauldron transforms liquids into vapours, creating a different taste sensation when the cloud of flavour wafts into the air and settles in the glass. You can sip the cloud vapour via a type of pipette-like straw. Pioneered at Le laboratoire, a public art and design centre in Paris, the Le Whaf cauldron is due to be commercialised soon.

_{Diners checking out the Supper Club culinary experience at Edible}

There's plenty to whet your senses at Edibles in Science Gallery, which is based on the Trinity College Dublin campus, over the next two months, from the Insects au Gratin, which explores the ingestion of insects, to the Disaster Pharming exhibit, developed by The Center for Genomic Gastronomy. An exhibition definitely worth checking out!

The event was established at the end of 2009, when senior women from member organisations came together as the economic decline presented new challenges for the industry. 

“The technology industry is male dominated and women are under represented at all levels in the sector, but especially in decision-making positions,” said Joanne Charles, product marketing manager at HP Ireland and CWIT committee member.

“Technology plays a key role in the Irish economy and there are an increasing number of opportunities for women. The CWIT group provides a forum and network for women in the sector to provide support and encourage them to go further and to attract more women into the industry.

“The key theme today is to shine a light on why women should aspire to be in senior positions and how to develop their personal skills or brand to get them to that level,” she said.

One of the challenges that companies face is having the right environment to grow and Charles highlighted the need for diverse workforces and management to enable this.

“There is quite a lot of evidence to support the fact that companies which have a diverse management team and structure outperform companies that don’t,” said Charles.

“Our motto is that we support initiatives, whether they’re in the education sector or in companies, for females to become empowered. We provide them with knowledge and we provide them with a communicative networking session so that they can mingle with females who are in similar careers within their own companies,” she said.

Charles said that the recent event specifically targeted top-performing, entry-level women in the technology industry who would be likely to move into managerial positions in the foreseeable future.

Personal vision

Speaking at the event was Dr Maureen Gaffney, professor of psychology and society at UCD and author of Flourishing. She believes that women in particular need to have a vision of themselves at their best to help advance their own profile at work.

“In all aspects of your life, but in particular, when it comes to your professional life, it is not how ‘I should be’ but ‘me at my best’,” said Gaffney.

“That largely depends on it being capable of arousing basic positive emotions that drives human behaviour so managing negative emotions that can get in the way. This is something that we should work at to help us to progress our professional and personal lives.  

“Facts convince but it is emotions that motivate the action and reaction you desire. However, creating a personal vision sometimes arouses uncomfortable issues for women - for example, the disconnect between the internal sense of self-confidence they hold and the way they express it openly.”

"To be at your best, you need to be attuned to the values that drive you and what strongly motivates you. This personal vision redefines you and what you stand for in an authentic and persuasive way to others around you in your workplace," she said.