Ireland
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Irish school children are building worlds for the Oculus Rift
If games, wildlife documentaries and virtual strolls in the park aren't enough to validate virtual reality for you, try this one: educational motivation. School children in Ireland have been using a open source version of Second Life to learn coding, 3D modeling and to create virtual spaces of recent field trips. Their most recent project: recreating the monastery of Clonmacnoise and exploring it with an Oculus Rift. Technically the Rift isn't part of the classroom's normal operations -- the founder of the MissionV virtual reality platform the school is visiting brought it with him on a recent visit -- but it did give the students a new perspective on the world they had built. "Whoa," one student exclaimed, looking at the classroom's recreation of Clonmacnoise's McCarthy Tower. "That is humongous."
Facebook's making moves to challenge PayPal
After attempts to kickstart its own virtual currency stalled, Facebook may soon get into the business of sending real money between you and your friends. According to The Financial Times, the social network is "only weeks away" from receiving the necessary approval in Ireland to operate its own e-money service. If given the green light, the company could effectively become a financial institution like PayPal (at least in Europe), allowing it to store and send money between millions users all over the continent. Facebook is said to have discussed partnering with at least three London-based firms that offer app-based international money transfers, but has yet to confirm it plans to take responsibility for your funds. With Zuckerberg and co. already facing user trust issues over the social network's use of ads, throwing money into the mix may only complicate matters.
The TUAW Daily Update Podcast for March 6, 2014
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get some the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the player at the top of the page. The Daily Update has been moved to a new podcast host in the past few days. Current listeners should delete the old podcast subscription and subscribe to the new feed in the iTunes Store here.
Konami investigating Metal Gear Rising's region lock on Steam
Konami is looking into region-locking concerns related to Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance on Steam. The news comes from a tweet recently issued by JP Kellams, a creative producer at Platinum Games. Kellams assured players that the "first thing I did in the office today was talk about the MGR region lock thing." The game's Steam community includes a number of discussion threads questioning players' inability to give the game as a gift to others across the globe, locking Russian and Argentinian copies to those regions, as an example. One discussion noted that Ireland-based players were unable to access the game's page, but seemed to find a work-around by being gifted the game from other European countries. The PC version of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance will launch Thursday, and is currently 20 percent off on Steam until then.
Ireland aims to close tax loophole Apple has exploited
If the Irish government's plans come together, the tax loophole that Apple, Microsoft, Google and other companies have been using for years will be closed up. Reuters and other news services are reporting that the Irish Government intends to close the loophole, although another will remain. Last May, a US Senate investigation revealed that Apple had sheltered billions in assets by declaring companies registered in the Irish City of Cork as not tax resident in any country. Michael Noonan, the Irish Finance Minister declared Tuesday that he was going to make it against Irish law for an Irish-registered company to have no tax domicile anywhere. Apple and the other companies could still avoid big tax bills by nominating Bermuda, for example, as its tax residence, or any other country that does not charge corporate income tax. During the Senate hearings Senator Carl Levin said Apple had achieved "...the 'Holy Grail' of tax avoidance." Apple's tax avoidance policies were also defended by some current and past members of the Senate, saying there was nothing illegal in the practice, but Ireland was welcome to change its laws. Now, it appears, that will happen. [via Reuters]
Irish MPs vote to let Apple off the tax inquiry hook
The chairman of the Irish parliament's finance committee has led a vote which has decided Apple will not face any questions over its tax practices in the country, according to The Guardian. The Irish Parliament originally agreed to conduct a tax inquiry into Apple's practices in the country after the United States Senate held a similar inquiry into Apple's tax practices last month. The US Senate inquiry found that in 2011 over two-thirds of Apple's global taxable profits (about US$34 billion) were "earned" by Apple companies registered in Ireland. Those profits came from the United States and other EU nations, but were then routed through Ireland so Apple could take advantage of its special 1 percent corporate tax rate (or less) in the country. While the Irish parliament's vote may work well for Apple, it's sure to infuriate other countries like the United States, the United Kingdom and other members of the European Union. Not all Irish politicians are happy about the finance committee's decision. As the finance spokesman for the Sinn Fein party, Pearse Doherty, puts it: "How can we look anybody in the eye out there and defend the type of austerity measures that this government is introducing when we're unwilling to take companies in [before parliament] who are not paying their fair share in this state? It can only be presented as this committee protecting these multinational firms who pay no tax here, who don't employ anybody and who don't pay any tax internationally. I think it makes a mockery out of this committee, an absolute mockery."
Telefonica to sell its Irish operations to Three for $1.1 billion
Think you're carrying a tad too much debt? Spanish telecom giant Telefónica wants to reduce its red ink to 47 billion euros ($62 billion) by the end of the year, so it's decided to sell its Irish mobile and broadband business to Hutchison Whampoa's Three for 850 million euros ($1.1 billion). If regulators approve the deal, it'll let Telefónica hack about 750 million euros of debt from its books, while giving Three a 37.5 percent share of the nation's mobile business and a strong number two position behind Vodafone. The deal follows a £200 million ($273 million) sale of Telefónica's fixed phone line business to Sky. Considering the whopping level of debt, though, that may be just the start. [Image credit: Wikimedia Commons]
Ireland says it has no special "tax deal" with Apple; Senators Levin and McCain dispute claim
Despite claims to the contrary, Ireland Ambassador Michael Collins this past week penned a letter to US Senators Carl Levin and John McCain exclaiming that Ireland has no special tax deal with Apple. The letter reads in part: First, Ireland's tax system is set out in statute - so there is no possibility of individual special tax rates being negotiated for companies. All tax resident companies in Ireland are liable to corporation tax on the chargeable income at the rate of 12.5% on trading income and at 25% on non-trading income. The tax rates attributed to Ireland in the Memorandum appear to be calculated by reference to the companies' entire profits, as if those companies are tax-resident in Ireland. This is despite the fact that the Memorandum clearly states that the companies concerned are not tax-resident in Ireland. The tax rates attributed to Ireland are wrong and misleading. Second, building on this analysis, the Memorandum refers to Ireland as a "tax haven". As you will be aware, the OECD has identified four key indicators of a tax haven. None of these criteria applies to Ireland. Understandably, many politicians are upset over Apple and other multinationals leaving billions upon billions of profits overseas. However, in their ostensible effort to paint Apple as the bad guy, they are not only ignoring the tax code which allows Apple to do what it does, but have also gotten a number of key facts wrong. For instance, Carl Levin initially stated that Apple's operation in Ireland was nothing more than a ghost operation with no employees. Come to find out, Apple actually employs upwards of 4,000 employees in Ireland. In any event, both Carl Levin and John McCain responded to Collins' letter wherein they disputed his assertions. Their statement reads: Records obtained by the subcommittee clearly reflect that, for years, Apple paid Irish tax authorities a nominal rate, far below Ireland's statutory rate of 12.5 percent, on trading income. Testimony by key Apple executives, including CEO Tim Cook and Head of Tax Operations Phillip Bullock, corroborates that Apple had a special arrangement with the Irish government that, since 2003, resulted in an effective tax rate of 2 percent or less. Most reasonable people would agree that negotiating special tax arrangements that allow companies to pay little or no income tax meets a common-sense definition of a tax haven. Well, this clearly isn't a topic that's going to die down anytime soon. Note, though, that until Congress changes the law in some regard, Apple will continue to keep its $100 billion cash hoard overseas.
Google Maps brings biking navigation to six European countries
Summer is the prime season for European cyclists, whether they're racing the Tour de France or just embarking on voyages of self-discovery. It's a good thing, then, that Google Maps' biking directions have reached six more European countries. Those in France, Ireland, Germany, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg and Poland can now plot pedal-friendly routes using their phones and the web. Google may miss a hidden trail or two when it's crowdsourcing the data through Map Maker, but the upgrade should still help riders avoid the inevitable crush of tourist traffic.
Ireland distances itself from Apple's tax inquiry
Ireland has responded to criticism from Senater Carl Levin (D-Mich.) that Irish tax laws allowed Apple to avoid playing taxes on tens of billions of dollars in profits using Irish subsidiaries. So what did Ireland have to say for itself? In a statement to RTE, Ireland's national broadcast network, Deputy Prime Minister Eamon Gilmore said: These are not issues that arise from the Irish taxation system. They are issues that arise from the taxation systems in other jurisdictions, and that is an issue that has to be addressed first of all in those jurisdictions. Ireland's answer is simple. If American companies like Apple are using loopholes in the American tax system to skirt playing their taxes, it's not Ireland's fault, and we should fix our system before we come after theirs. It's a good point. The issue isn't that Ireland provided a safe haven for Apple to hide profits. It's that American tax law is so convoluted and full of loopholes that American companies like Apple can enjoy all the benefits of being an American company while paying a fraction of the taxes our laws say they own. It will be interesting to see if these hearings will simply be an attempt to shame the company for tax avoidance, or if it will finally be the catalyst for closing the massive web of loopholes that make up the country's tax system.
Irish government seeks emergency power to cut mobile services during G8 summit
The Irish Defence Minister, Alan Shatter, has put forward a law that would give his government the right to cut off mobile services "in a limited area" to prevent a bombing. In particular, he fears that militant groups may attack next month's G8 summit in Northern Ireland to "garner publicity," and that they may try to detonate explosives remotely using phone signals. Ireland already has a voluntary system for requesting operators to suspend services if there's a threat, but the new legislation would make this compulsory, in case the authorities should face any "difficulty in getting a telecom company in an emergency to cooperate." The idea of deliberate blackouts may sound strange, at least outside of oppressed nations like Egypt and Syria, but Shatter says the Boston Marathon bombing, which possibly also involved cellphones as detonators, proves that such measures are necessary.
Netflix starts streaming Disney movies in Ireland and the UK
Netflix scored a big coup with its semi-exclusive Disney deal late last year, but the newly expanded content didn't reach everybody in one shot -- just ask the British and Irish, who've been left high and dry so far. To viewers' relief, the companies have mended that gap with immediate availability of Disney and Disney-Pixar movies in Ireland and the UK. The initial mix includes not-quite-recent movies like Wall-E as well as back-catalog classics like The Aristocats; the months ahead will see Netflix' selection catch up slightly by introducing the most recent Pirates of the Caribbean movie, among other titles. Combined with the upcoming additions of some DreamWorks and Marvel movies, the Disney pact should hopefully keep the kids (and, we'll admit, ourselves) entertained just as the summer is about to start.
Google Play Music spreads to Australia, New Zealand and five European nations
Google has been on something of a tear spreading its Google Play media services around the world; don't look now, but it's picking up the pace. The search giant is expanding Google Play Music today to cover Australia, Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Luxembourg, New Zealand and Portugal. That small deluge of new countries can now shop for their favorite tunes as well as store up to 20,000 of them online for streaming, either on the web or on Android devices. Large swaths of the world remain uncovered by the service -- ahem, Canada -- but we'll still welcome a big step toward cloud music for everyone. [Thanks, Chris]
European data authorities confirm Facebook facial recognition software deletion
After landing itself in hot water with the Irish Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) and Hamburg's Data Protection Authority (DPA), Facebook has deleted all of its European photo tagging facial recognition data. After reviewing the company's source code and deletion process, DPC spokesperson Ciara O'Sullivan confirmed today that the regulatory agency was satisfied with the social network's compliance. Additional removal confirmation came from Hamburg's DPC's technical department, which also reviewed the firm's software to ensure that its standards were met. In a recent comment to CFO World, a Facebook spokesperson confirmed that the data had been deleted and that the social network has no plans to reinstate facial recognition software in Europe anytime soon. No word on whether Facebook will now purchase sadface.com for... oh, $80 million or so.
Intel gets go-ahead for $4 billion chip plant in Ireland, will produce its next-gen 14nm processors
Intel has been planning to make its Ireland base one of three global manufacturing sites for its 14nm chips since May last year, and its now been given the okay by Ireland's lead planning agency. The new $4 billion plant will create around 4,300 jobs for the region in Co. Kildare, where Intel already has around 4,000 on staff. The two-year plan involves redeveloping its existing operation, expanding and shifting to make its smaller, more efficient 14nm process. Intel's plans don't stop there, however. It still plans to roll out 10nm products sometime in 2015.
Irish government drops Blackberry, picks up iPads
The Irish government has announced that it will be dropping support for Blackberrys in favor of iPhones and Android devices, according to SiliconRepublic. The move affects Teachta Dála's (TD's) in the lower house of the Oireachtas (the Irish Parliament). The government has decided that it's no longer cost effective to maintain Blackberry support. According to SiliconRepublic: One of the reasons Blackberry support is being dropped is the Oireachtas ICT unit no longer wishes to pay to keep a BlackBerry Enterprise Server running when no such server is required for Android or iPhone devices. "The provision of support for BlackBerrys carries the additional cost of two separate servers, power, cooling, administration and annual support," the spokesperson explained. In another change up, the Irish government is also initiating a program where it will buy iPads wholesale and then allow TD's who wish to use the devices to refund the cost to the Oireachtas. Originally the Oireachtas planned to purchase the iPads outright and distribute them to its members, but because of budgetary constraints, the governing body has now decided that members who want them must pay the government back for them. Purchasing all new iPads, however, is a budget-cutting move, reports SR: One of the reasons the Oireachtas Commission appears determined to pursue the rollout of iPads is a 'print on demand' strategy with respect to parliamentary documents. An Oireachtas Commission spokesperson confirmed the move was part of a strategy to reduce print production costs throughout Leinster House. The idea is that instead of every office or department having printers, a smaller number of strategically located printers around Leinster House and Dail Eireann will be able to detect a member's iPad via Apple's AirPrint wireless technology and print a document from the iPad. Ireland follows in the footsteps of other governments around the world, including in the UK, Uganda, and the US.
Netflix Ireland, UK score deals to carry previous seasons of key Warner-distributed shows
Hot on the heels of a deal for Canada, Netflix and Warner Bros. have spread their newfound affection for each other to a multi-year, exclusive agreement for Ireland and the UK. Both island nations are getting streaming access to past seasons of four Warner-distributed TV shows, with availability staggered over the next several months. The Vampire Diaries is first out of the gate, with three seasons coming to Netflix on December 1st; five seasons of Gossip Girl follow on March 1st, while less definite schedules have all of Chuck and four seasons of Fringe appearing sometime in 2013. The arrangement isn't quite as ideal as it would be if episodes appeared as they aired, but it's a welcome expansion for a young regional service that's still locked in a battle for supremacy.
Ireland completes spectrum auction after analog shutoff, LTE rollout pegged for mid-2013
The dust has settled after Ireland's recent spectrum auction, and wouldn't you know it, Vodafone, O2, Meteor and Three have picked up a combined 140MHz of paired spectrum across the 800, 900 and 1800MHz bands. According to the country's regulator, ComReg, the auction will effectively double the spectrum available in these bands and will allow for LTE deployment across Éire. For its part, O2 has committed to begin its 4G rollout in the first half of 2013. To ensure quick deployment, all license holders are required to make their new spectrum available to 70 percent of Ireland's population within three years. In all, the companies will pay €855 million ($1.09 billion) for spectrum rights until 2030, of which, €482 million is payable up front. Curiously enough, the country's 800MHz spectrum was freed up just last month after its analog shutoff. To find a complete breakdown of the situation, feel free to hit up the announcement from ComReg at the source link below. [Thanks, Neil] [Photo credit: Seattleye / Flickr]
PlayStation 3 hurdles over the 5 million mark in the UK
PlayStation 3 is now over the 5 million mark for UK sales, Sony announced today. The milestone followed soon after the release of the 500 GB PS3, which upped the console's sales during its launch week by 138 percent. The 12 GB model launches across Europe tomorrow. Earlier this month Sony also announced 4 million PS3 sales in France."This is another historic moment for the PlayStation brand, and something I'm incredibly proud of," said Fergal Gera, SCE vice-president and managing director for UK & Ireland, "I'd like to thank all our consumers, retailers and 3rd party partners for helping us achieve this figure, and look forward to continued success."The last revealed UK milestone for PS3 came in early 2011, when Sony announced 4 million sales of its home console. Microsoft tends to stick to worldwide sales figures, and the last time the company did that was in May, revealing a figure of 67 million. That compares to 64 million sales for PS3, which Sony revealed two months prior in March. The Nintendo Wii remains the home console leader according to latest figures, with 96.5 million worldwide sales as of June 2012.
Free Skype WiFi hits Ireland and the UK through Wicoms, steps up the quality of public hotspots
Let's face it: many free WiFi hotspots are tacked on as bullet point items to get customers into a shop or hotel, without much concern for quality high enough that it keeps visitors coming back. Wicoms is hoping that a strategy to offer free Skype WiFi in Ireland and the UK will reverse that neglect. Instead of leaving stores to go through carrier partnerships or devise their own solutions, the partnership has stores pick up a £49 Wicoms router and commit to either a £10 ($16) monthly rate or prepaid brackets of £49 ($79) for six months and £95 ($153) for a year. The aim isn't just to provide a more consistent level of performance -- the Skype deal also provides a ready-made sign-in process, whether or not visitors have Skype accounts, as well as someone to turn to for help. While temptations exist to go with earlier alternatives, Skype and Wicoms are giving away the router during October to help sweeten the pot, even for those outlets that drop the Skype WiFi solution later on. Let's hope the hotspots work well enough on the public-facing side; we could all use a few more shelters from low data caps and oversaturated access points.
