northern ireland
Latest
Minecraft free for every Northern Ireland secondary school
Minecraft has been heralded for its focus on building, creativity and exploration. Players learn about architecture and construction, as well as the simple joy of self expression. The game's open nature has also given birth to countless mods that teach budding builders about coding, geography and art. Recognising its power as an educational tool, a free copy of the game is now being offered to every secondary school in Northern Ireland.
BBC iPlayer apps now offer live channels based on where you live
If you're on the move or struggling to gain control of the TV remote in your living room, the BBC's iPlayer apps are an easy way to watch its live programming. The problem, until now, has been that the mobile apps would only let you stream the England-specific versions of BBC One and BBC Two. So if you lived in Edinburgh and wanted to watch Reporting Scotland, you were out of luck until it was made available to stream on-demand. It wasn't the most accommodating setup, so the BBC is updating both its iOS and Android apps to support the regional versions of BBC One and BBC Two broadcast in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Just choose your preferred location in the app's settings and you'll receive exactly the same programming as you would normally on the telly.
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.
Battlefield 1943 players upset over lack of Irish identification [Update]
Update: According to an update on SeenIt.co.uk, the gamer who argued for Irish distinction in his Battlefield 1943 profile has been contacted by EA support and was told, "It looks as though the issue you have submitted is more complex than it seemed initially." Irish history, complex? Understatement! Hopefully this means all Irish gamers will be able to fly the colors they desire someday soon. Original Story: Battlefield 1943 players out of Northern Ireland are surprised -- and angry -- that the game's official site fails to display the country's flag on their profile pages. Profiles for gamers in the North are stamped with the good ol' Union Jack, the national flag of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and labels North Irish players as located in Great Britain. Some of you may cry, "So what?" Well, it's a pride thing -- and it's a law. "If you live in Northern Ireland EA won't allow you to identify yourself as 'Irish' despite the 1998 Belfast agreement saying otherwise," writes the UK entertainment blog, SeenIt.co.uk. According to our history books, the Belfast Agreement allows citizens of Northern Ireland to identify themselves as Irish or British, or both. After attempting to change the country associated with the account, EA tech support told SeenIt changing the region was impossible because Ireland is "not listed distinctively" and is included under Great Britain. Seems like a silly thing for Electronic Arts to put its foot down on, unless it's the first step to easily categorizing the world. Step two? All Canadians listed as hailing from "America's Hat." [Thanks, Martin]
Dark Water Studios open for business
Let's all give a warm welcome to Dark Water Studios, which has just officially opened its doors. The Northern Ireland developer is headed by industry vet Mike Brown, with former Acclaim man Paul Houbart named as technology manager, and Rory Fellowes, another vet, on board as lead animator. Dark Water currently totals 10 employees, with a goal to reach 25 by the end of the year.The studio is developing a multiplayer PC title, partially funded by DETI, the economic development branch of Northern Ireland's government. Dark Water is also working on a prototype project for PC and consoles.
