While A handful of Irish schools begin to experiment with ebooks, one of the country’s best-known educational publishers is already deep into its digital transformation.

It would be understandable for an old-fashioned educator to get a little nervous at the idea of a classroom where books have been all but replaced by individual, internet-enabled screens.

But 102-year-old publisher Edco, best known for its printed school books and exam papers, expects to be at the heart of its business in the near future.

The company’s digital path has been a long one, beginning as a modest support tool for students almost a decade ago and ultimately growing into the fully digital catalogue it offers today.

“About 10 years ago we realised there were seeds out there; this whole digital area was beginning to take shape so we’d better start doing something,” says Martina Harford, chief executive of Edco.

That something was a relatively modest support tool for students using Edco’s exam papers for three subjects. E-xamit.ie has since grown to cover 27 subjects and boasts an annual user base of around 50,000, or half of all of those sitting State exams.

From there the company began to build on its offering and, as computers began to become a feature of the classroom (for teachers at least), they developed digital resources to compliment their book-based lessons.

“We now have upwards of 20,000 teachers logging onto that on a daily basis,” says Ms Harford. “The next step then was obviously going to be the pupils.”

This year Edco has made available a collection of 300 second level ebooks, which can be used instead of, or in addition to, the printed equivalent.

They are accessible through a cloud-based platform that Edco itself developed, something which Julie Glennon, sales and marketing manager, says was an important part of getting the offering right.

“We had the opportunity to buy something off-the-shelf: there’s lots of companies internationally that have ereaders and eviewers and we did look at that,” she says. “But that doesn’t give us the flexibility to add features, interact and develop our own unique areas that give us a competitive edge in the market.”

The platform allows students to make notes and highlight passages on their books, but can also embed extra features like videos and interactive elements into the pages.

This has allowed the school books to become a far more enriched resource than was previously available. However, according to Ms Glennon, having tight control of the software brings many other advantages.

For instance its cloud-based nature means students can access their books from different locations, while Edco can also easily update content to ensure it does not suddenly become inaccurate.

“Say a new president is elected in America or we have a new taoiseach, instead of waiting three years for a new print book we can commission authors to write up a document, which is pushed out and students get a notification to say there has been an update.”

One of the most important factors of its design, however, is its platform neutrality. Ms Harford says they decided from early on that it was not their place to dictate how the students access the content.

“One thing that was always in our mind from when we started was that we didn’t expect everyone to be able to buy the most up-to-date device, so from the very start we said we were going to construct it in such a way that no matter what device they had they could use it,” she says.

This platform neutrality was also a consideration from a software point of view.

“A few years ago we built the teachers’ site in Flash and we didn’t know the iPad was going to come out and it was going to be a massive phenomenon,” says Ms Glennon, explaining their use of HTML5 for their ebook software. “We decided that we can’t decide as a publisher to say what devices our content is going to be used on. We want to be able to work across all devices.”

By going digital, Edco naturally forgoes the printing and distribution costs associated with traditional books. However, there are new costs that arise from a proper ebook offering.

While print books for school are VAT-free, no such exemption is made for ebook equivalents at present.

The specially-commissioned media and timely updates that enhance the books also come at a cost, as does maintaining the cloud-based platform in general.

“We try our best to use things that are Irish-based and that ties in with the curriculum,” says Ms Glennon, who gave the example of science experiment videos, which Edco records in its own studio.

“You might say why can’t you just search online, but the main point of research coming back from teachers was that they needed reassurance that the content that they’re using is tested, written by experienced authors, has been reviewed, is pitched at the right level and is also in line with the curriculum.”

Despite these new costs the company is offering ebooks for less than the print equivalent and is confident that, even with the hardware cost included, it will ultimately become a more viable option for an increasing number of Irish schools.

At present around 3 per cent of secondary students are using ebooks in the country, which is roughly in line with international figures.

In the US ebook adoption in schools is anticipated to reach 25 per cent by 2015 and 50 per cent by 2018, a trend Ms Harford believes Ireland will track.

“That rate could change, could accelerate, but that’s the research that’s out there at the minute,” she says. “We call it managing the tilt.”

Despite this clear trend both Ms Hardford and Ms Glennon are tactful when asked when the printing presses will be turned off. “That’s not going to happen any time soon,” is the answer.

Of course there are valid concerns that need to be addressed before that could happen, regardless of ebook adoption in schools.

For a start, many would bristle at the prospect of children never having the chance to work on their basic handwriting skills.

However, such a debate is likely to be a while away in this country, while Ms Harford sees no prospect of the humble pen’s extinction from the classroom – at least as long as the State lags behind.

“If the Leaving Cert continues to be a handwritten exam then kids have got to be able to continue writing with a pen and paper,” she said.

This article was originally published in The Irish Times

‘Call of Duty: Black Ops’ is the biggest computer game in history. So far, 68,000 years have been spent playing it. And the lead programmer is from Galway.

Selling an estimated seven million copies worldwide in the 24 hours following its launch and generating revenues in excess of $1 billion to date, Call of Duty: Black Ops is unquestionably the biggest game ever released.

According to publisher Activision, 20 million users have also logged on to play the game’s multiplayer version since launch, clocking up over 68,000 years of game time in the process. This kind of online experience has become critical to the success of any game released today, as it offers potential replay value far beyond the single-player plot. In the case of Call of Duty: Black Ops , the role of overseeing this work fell to Galway native Martin Donlon, who was lead programmer for online on the title.

To him such a role presents some unique challenges: “With single-player games you’re trying to add a lot of different features to keep it interesting along the way,” he said.

“With multiplayer, you’re just trying to refine a core mechanic and ensure it is continually interesting as it’s repeated over and over again.”

Coming from Dunmore in Co Galway, Donlon began working with Activision subsidiary Treyarch nearly 10 years ago while on a J1 Visa to the US.

A self-taught programmer and computer systems student at University of Limerick he was already quite experienced with the demands of coding and was rewarded with a high-profile task from the outset.

“I worked as an intern at Treyarch for four months and, while I was there, worked on the Spiderman movie game,” he said. “I returned to Ireland in the winter but, in December of that year, they asked me to come back to finish the game.

“They figured it would be better to get somebody back into the country who already had experience on the team rather than try to hire someone over there.”

Donlon spent a further eight months in California working on the game and then returned to Ireland to finish his final year of university. After graduation, he travelled back to California to take up a full-time job at Treyarch and has remained there ever since.

In the decade since his internship, Donlon has climbed the food chain within the company to become a lead programmer, which he said represents a move away from development and more towards management.

During that time, he has worked on more Spiderman games, The World at War series and, most recently, Call of Duty: Black Ops.

“It’s pretty bizarre but it’s definitely exciting,” he said, though he pointed out that his work continues despite the game itself being finished and on the shelves.

“On launch day, we celebrated and then it was pretty much straight back to work,” he said. “We’ve had several update releases since then and we’re constantly tweaking game modes and gameplay settings to try to find what works in the wild.”

These regular changes are done, among other things, to try to solve any unforeseen imbalances which may be drawing ire from loyal and fanatical players.

It would be expected that each type of weapon can be bested by at least one other, for example, and gamers will not be shy in letting others know if that is not the case. He said this work would continue well into this year and will keep going as long as it proves viable – in other words as long as enough people are playing it.

Working alongside him in the company are a number of other Irish developers, though he said that, beyond that, he does not know of many others.

“In terms of actual developers, I’m not aware of all that many Irish,” he said. “We have five, maybe six at Treyarch but I’m not aware of any large group outside of that.”

He points to Demonware, the middleware tool developed by Dylan Collins and subsequently acquired by Activision, as an example of an Irish gaming success, however. He goes so far as to say that Call of Duty would not exist without it and others like Havok have also had a major impact on the industry.

With panellists at last year’s Dublin Web Summit suggesting that Ireland follow the lead of Canada’s Montreal in attracting big game development, he is equally supportive.

“We’re always shifting away from that structure of one team, one big office, working on a title and then releasing it,” he said.

“There are a lot more satellite offices and things being outsourced, so there’s no reason why the Atlantic ocean or any kind of distance limits what you can do right now.

“It really depends on whether you can bring the talent to you; you need to find some smart people and keep them in or bring them to Ireland.”

When asked if he might be one of those talented people who would return to Ireland to help it build expertise in the industry, Donlon said he was at least willing to consider it.

“I could be enticed back. I’m married, I just have a new family so there would definitely be a lot of reasons to go back,” he said. “Games are what I do, so as long as theres the opportunity to do that I’m happy to live anywhere.”

Originally published in The Irish Times on 21st January 2011.

The Irish Government should consider legislation that forces the disconnection of persistent illegal music downloaders, the chief executive of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) has said.

Frances Moore praised Eircom for the “tremendous leadership” it had shown in the area and encouraged others to follow. If that did not happen, she said the Government may need to step in to resolve the issue.

“What is clear is that we need to get this situation under control and one ISP is not enough to do that,” said Ms Moore in a conference call following the release of the IFPI’s annual report. “We will need the other ISPs to either do their part voluntarily or have the Government impose legislation.”

Eircom is the only ISP in Ireland that has agreed to undertake a “graduated response” to users believed to be downloading content illegally. This sees customers getting a warning upon detection of suspect activity and eventually ends in disconnection if further warnings are ignored.

However, attempts by music rights group the Irish Recorded Music Association (Irma) to make other ISPs adhere to the same process have failed. Following a defeat in a case against UPC, the industry body said it would pressure the Government to change the law.

The IFPI report shows digital music sales continuing to increase, with the category now accounting for 29 per cent of record companies’ global revenues. Overall revenues have continued to decline, down 31 per cent since 2004. However, the report falls short of comparing overall unit sales, making it difficult to see how much of that decline is due to lower prices as opposed to falling sales.

Putting the piracy issue in more economic than moral terms, the report claims a 17 per cent drop in employed musicians in the US since 1999. It also claims 1.2 million jobs will be lost across Europe by 2015 due to piracy.

More optimistically, the IFPI champions the growth in new revenue models for the industry, specifically the expansion of streaming services like Spotify and We7.

“We are forging new models that aim to make digital music both consumer-friendly and commercially viable for creators,” said Ms Moore in her introduction to the report.

She said 2010 was the year they “broke the seal” on subscription services and ISP deals, and specifically cites Eircom as an example of that.

Article originally published in The Irish Times on the 21st January 2011.

Microsoft is attempting to end Apple’s exclusive ownership of the ‘app store’ trademark, claiming it is a generic term.

Apple applied for the trademark in 2008 through the US Patent and Trademark Office and has been the only company able to use it since then, forcing rivals like Microsoft and Google to give their own app outlets different names.

However PCWorld.com reports that Microsoft has now appealed to the office to reverse its decision in a recent motion. It claims the two words are too generic to be given exclusively to one company and has offered evidence – including quotes from Steve Jobs – to back this up.

While it may seem like a fair argument now at the time of the trademark filling the concept of a catalogue that sells applications for phones was not a common one. It was only when Apple launched its App Store – and others followed suit – that the idea and term caught on.

Today, regardless of the official ownership, the term ‘app store’ is used to refer to all app platforms. As Microsoft’s case points out, even by Jobs himself.

After a wait that would rival Duke Nukem himself, Sony’s Gran Turismo 5 has finally arrived in Irish shops.

The much anticipated racer, which has been promised at various times since the launch of the Playstation 3 itself, promises over 1,000 vehicles, 26 tracks and 70 track layouts. Its standard edition has a recommended retail price of €60, though Gamestop say they will be selling it for €55.

A special collectors edition is also available and will set you back an extra €10 should you want to get your hands on some special artwork and the like.

If that’s not enough – and if the recession has passed you by completely – you might also be interested in a “signature edition” which costs €180 and features a scale model of the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, a GT5 key fob and wallet and a few extra in-game features and a coffee table book.

The Beatles’ back catalogue is now available to download on iTunes, effectively ending a decades-long legal dispute between the band and Apple.

The deal means that each of the legendary band’s albums are available to download from the online music shop for between €13 and €20, with a box set of all the albums also available for €150.

Historically the relationship between the iPod-maker and the band had been quite strained, following a number of lawsuits centring around trademarks and the ‘Apple’ brand. The band’s record label was of course ‘Apple Records’ and this led to plenty of skirmishes over the years (see this Wiki page for details).

However in more recent times there seemed to be a thaw in relations and when Apple yesterday promised a day “that you’ll never forget” the likes of the Wall Street Journal concluded The Beatles were finally going digital. As we now know, and much to the disappointment of some who expected something more significant, this has proven to be spot on.

After months of hype Microsoft’s Kinect has finally launched in Ireland. The motion-sensing peripheral went on sale across Europe today and is likely to be in high demand in the run up to Christmas.

The Kinect, which requires an Xbox 360 to work, tracks the full-body movements of users allowing them to play games without anything in their hands. It is clearly Microsoft’s answer to the Nintendo Wii however it uses very different technology to work; namely a number of sensors and cameras instead of a motion-sensitive controller.

The standalone Kinect device costs €150 and comes with a free game – Kinect Adventures – while a bundle including the console itself is on sale for €300. Microsoft have also promised 19 titles available in Europe before Christmas with plenty more in the pipe-line for 2011.

The price of the entry-level Mac Mini in the Irish Apple Store has been cut by €80, bringing it down to €719. According to Engadget this cut has been replicated internationally, except in the US.

The mini computer was upgraded back in June and boasts a 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo CPU, 2GB of RAM and a 320GB hard drive for that price. There’s also an SD card reader, 802.11n WiFi, HDMI-out and a Mini DisplayPort jack and a NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics card.

All this comes in a package that is just 3.6cm tall and Apple have impressively fit the power-block in there too.

There’s been no change to that in recent times but the slightly lower price is certainly hoped to revive a bit of interest. Perhaps Apple are making savings in compact components from its new MacBook Airs and has decided to pass it onto the consumer?

Having missed its July release and a further promise to arrive in late 2010 the white iPhone 4 has been pushed back yet again to at least Spring 2011.

The company had previously said the version of the device was “more challenging to manufacture than we originally expected” and has apologised to those still waiting for it.

Assuming this date proves to be correct it will mean the white iPhone 4 will not arrive until nearly a year after the regular version. With Apple inclined to upgrade the iPhone in the middle of each year it also means a newer version may be just around the corner.

source: Reuters

For a company that made its name from ringtones and SMS subscriptions the age of the iPhone has been a hard one to come to terms with. However according to its CEO Zamano is now in a position to reap the rewards of a very mobile future.

It is only a few years ago that the extent of downloadable content for a mobile phone was a customisable ringtone. Back then phones, and the business models for companies looking to profit from them, were much more straight-forward.

Today things are much more media-rich, with devices doubling as pocket computers capable of accessing almost anything within the reach of a traditional PC. For Zamano, an Irish company built on ringtones subscription services, this is a very difficult circle to square.

“The transition has been painful for us,” said John O’Shea, CEO of Zamano. “Everything changed, for example we used to spend £1m a month on print advertising in Ireland, UK and Australia three years ago; now it’s less than £50,000.”

The company’s customers were moving online and to more online-capable smartphones and as a result the most obvious route for the company to move to was mobile apps. The company did have an initial foray in the area too, which included becoming victim to Apple’s first major cull of apps deemed to feature unsuitable content for its store.

More recently the idea of being an app developer has been dropped altogether, with a handful of apps left in Apple’s App Store as the only proof that they ever tried at all.

“One of the mistakes we made was that we started developing apps; the content of the stuff we were developing just wasn’t good enough to sell,” said O’Shea. “To be honest I can’t see how anyone can make money in an app store bar the odd unusual case where someone sells a million.”

Such scepticism about making profit from apps is not unfounded. At present there are hundreds of thousands of apps available for the iPhone alone, many of which are free to download. As if this huge amount of competition was not enough paid-for apps make up the minority of those downloaded and Apple – much like other app store operators – take a 30% cut straight off the top.

However with this move by consumers to new mobile buying habits and the company’s inability to get an immediate handle on it Zamano has endured a bit of a rocky patch.

In 2008 the company, which is listed on the AIM exchange in London, posted a €3.8m loss. In 2009 the company suffered a further 39% drop in revenue, though it did return to profitability during this time.

This is the transition that O’Shea said Zamano was going through. The company was moving away from the very fickle world of ringtones and into something more high-margin, low-volume.

According to O’Shea the company is now focusing in on three specific areas; digital marketing, presentation and sign-up and billing. In short Zamano now aims to present and promote unique content to customers and bill them once they sign up – the content itself, however, is outsourced.

Its latest deal is a clear example of this shift. The company is now working with Setanta Sports to offer videos of English Premiership goals directly to people’s phones within minutes of them happening. It comes on a subscription-basis and can be tailored to the needs of the individual user.

“That’s a very rich service compared to the ringtone service that would have been there years ago,” said O’Shea. “Handsets are getting much more powerful and bandwidth availability is so much greater be it through 3G or Wireless so these things can and must be more media rich.”

The beauty of using a browser-based solution, according to O’Shea, is that it allows them to push content through to any type of phone. In order to do that via the app route they would need to develop and support upwards of five separate applications, one for each of the main platforms in use today.

Taking the SMS and browser route also gives the company more flexibility in terms of how it monetises the content, as the likes of Apple’s iPhone does not yet allow the rolling subscription services that Zamano currently use.

Part of the reason for this may be because of the bad reputation mobile subscription services have gotten over the years, something O’Shea is all too aware of.

In its early days SMS marketing and subscriptions were a bit of a no-man’s land in terms of regulation but as Governments began to understand the issue they have begun to legislate. However O’Shea said his company has been ahead of the curve in this area, enforcing its own code of practice and dropping clients who continued to do things the ‘old fashioned’ way.

“Regulations became a lot more prescriptive as time passed and people began to understand the services more but we have our own code of practice in place too,” he said. “I can stand over everything we do in terms of complete compliance.”

This has not made things any easier as the company sought to move to a new area of a very new market reality, however O’Shea is confident it is paying off. He is equally confident that the moves Zamano are making now are enough to future-proof it against any further shifts in the years ahead.

“People’s perceptions of what they can do with their handsets is dramatically changing and that’s of benefit to people who can provide them with what they want,” he said. “There’s lots of potential but at the same time the key thing is that people’s web usage on their handsets will go through the roof; we’ve got to offer a better customer experience matched with what their needs are and it’s a hard one.”

The Samsung Galaxy Tab will cost €600… in the UK at least.

The Carphone Warehouse’s UK site has put up a pre-order page for the Samsung Galaxy Tab, pricing it at the equivalent of €600 for the device outside of a contract.

Samsung’s Android-based rival to the iPad is due to launch in Europe on the 1st November and so far there has been no clear confirmation of a price. At €600 the 7″ tablet would be comparable to the 32GB WiFi-only iPad or the 16GB WiFi & 3G version.

The company’s Irish site currently has no mention of the Samsung Galaxy Tab and of course there is no guarantee that it will cost €600 when it reaches Irish shores; in fact it is quite rare for gadgets not to undergo a price inflation in the transfer over to euro.

Interestingly the Carphone Warehouse ad also includes a subsidised price when bought with a broadband contract, however this only shaves a mere £30 (€34) off the device-only price.

A lot of attention is already being given to the Samsung Galaxy Tab as it is seen as the first real competitor to Apple’s so-far-so-successful touch-screen device. While slightly smaller the use of Android and the inclusion of front and rear-facing cameras does give it the potential to excel in other ways.

The new Apple TV

Apple TV wowed the tech world when Steve Jobs unveiled it at a recent press conference but does it live up to its promise to change the way we watch TV? WhatClinic.com‘s Caelen King got his hands on the device to find out.

Having casually read up on the Apple’s latest attempt to crack the set top box market I knew before I ordered one that it would be small, but I still wasn’t fully prepared for just how small it is. You can see it here in the picture beside an iPhone 3G.

Apple’s previous TV box lived in a much bigger case like their other add-on devices, the Time Machine and Airport Extreme. The reason for this was simple – it had to be able to house a hard disk and have space on the back for component audio and video sockets. The new model does away with both of these features leaving it incredibly compact. They’ve also gone with a stylish black finish, making it look more at home sitting beside the majority of TVs on the market.

The connections on the back of the current model are simple: power, HDMI, micro USB (for servicing only), optical audio out and Ethernet. With pretty much all TVs having HDMI connections now, the lack of component audio and video isn’t that big a deal. The video output is limited to 720p though, which seems like a deliberate ploy to sell a new model in 12 months that supports 1080p.

One of the reasons that the video is limited to 720p must relate (in a roundabout way) to the lack of a hard drive in this model. Apple have jumped the gun a little and decided that this device can only stream content, so limiting the resolution to 720p dramatically reduces the maximum bandwidth required. The streaming works in two ways – you can rent a movie directly using your iTunes account, or you can stream from your own iTunes library.

There are a few major flaws with this decision. Here in Ireland we only recently got access to some of the films available on iTunes. We still don’t have access to TV programmes, leaving a really large chunk of the Apple TV’s potential usefulness unavailable. It is easy enough to get around this by buying a US iTunes gift card (and following the instructions all over the internet), but we shouldn’t have to get around these restrictions. Someone in the distribution chain is dragging their heels in getting content released as widely as possible.

Secondly, if you want to stream content you have already downloaded and stored on a NAS you need to leave a connected computer with iTunes installed running because the streaming runs over Apple’s own Home Sharing system. This almost defeats the purpose of the Apple TV box, as most modern games consoles and even some TVs can handle direct computer to TV streaming without any add-ons.

There is no denying that the Apple TV itself is beautifully designed, as is the UI when you use it, but taking all the limitations listed above into account it remains a nice-to-have toy rather than an essential piece of kit. Expect that to change though as more features are rolled out both in software (see the upcoming iOS 4.2) and hardware (in future models).

This is a guest post by Caelen King of WhatClinic.com

Buy the Apple TV from Apple.com:

Medal of Honour aims to be a game for the gamer

The much-anticipated reboot of Medal of Honour aims to take the first-person shooter genre back to its roots with the focus firmly on the hardcore gamer, according to the lead producer of its multiplayer element. Adam Maguire spoke to him to find out just what that means.

“If you look at the competition or even DICE’s own games we added more and more features for every title released and at a certain point it becomes bloated and very difficult to balance the game,” says Patrick Lius. “We sort of leaned back and asked just what it was that makes games addictive and it’s basically a balanced game that requires a lot of skill.”

“That’s what gets people addicted and you can see that in some of the classic games that people are still playing today.”

Whether the average gamer realises it or not a good balance is critical to their enjoyment of a game, particularly in the age of the online multiplayer. If a developer allows a game out into the wild with, for example, an over-powered weapon in the mix it will be a definite source of frustration for any player looking for something more than easy stat-boosts.

The same applies when too much is left to chance.

“We leave as little as possible to chance as we can, for example if you throw a grenade over a wall and you just accidentaly hit someone,” he says. “It’s much more about your gun and your aim.”

However while the focus on eliminating this imbalance might be music to the ears of many gamers for some – namely the so-called ‘newbies’ – it will make things all the more difficult. In short with no easy way to break onto the score-sheet those unfamiliar with first-person shooters may find the learning curve to be quite steep.

Lius is unapologetic about this fact:

“It could be hard to get into if you’re a complete noob but everyone should play on the same terms. In those terms it’s kind of a hardcore game, it really is for hardcore gamers.

“It is a difficult balance to strike – to be accessible while also presenting a challenge for the players that are used to it but I think we’re geared towards the core gamer.”

It is a risky strategy and one that bucks the trend of an industry seeking to embrace the casual gamer. It is all the more of a risk when you consider just how much the competition has changed (and increased) in the three years since the Medal of Honour series last had a major release.

The Call of Duty series – or more specifically its Modern Warfare variant – has become a blockbuster title with a huge following. Battlefield’s Bad Company 2 – also an EA-made game – has followed close behind and done equally well.

There is a trend across all these titles, of course, and that is the move from historic to modern combat scenarios. For its own part Medal of Honour, a franchise which began life as a World War II shooter, is now set just eight years ago at the beginning of the war in Afghanistan.

So why the shift?

“It was really a natural choice of telling the story of a modern warrior because that’s what people are interested in,” says Lius. “This is a new venue for the franchise but it just felt natural.”

Such a decision is not without its complications.

Basing a game in the modern world requires a certain level of realism that a historical or futuristic title would be able to fudge to a certain degree. To respond to that DICE brought in advisers from the US military to ensure they had combat details correct; they also undertook detailed studies of Afghanistan’s terrain which helped provide a wide range of maps for the multiplayer missions.

Of course realism is about more than getting the location right; in order to be truly realistic both sides of the conflict must be represented honestly. This is especially difficult when you are dealing with a war that in many ways has no easily characterised divisions.

This focus on an on-going conflict also creates significant political dynamics and sensitivities and it goes without saying that this is difficult to avoid causing offence.

In the case of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 much offence was caused by the now infamous terrorism level, which allowed the player to attack innocent people in an airport terminal. For Medal of Honour the realism is captured in a far less dramatic way; namely by making Taliban forces playable – and comparable to US forces – in the multiplayer game.

“It’s a feature that’s always been in multiplayer and there’s always an opposing force, whether it’s Nazis or cowboys and Indians, this is just another step,” Lius says. “In multiplayer we have portrayed both teams as equals with respect to everyone after all the Taliban are resourceful and skilful warriors and we shouldn’t take that away from them.

“The key is it is always armed combat – there are no civilians involved.”

While not on the level seen in reaction to the Modern Warfare 2 controversy it is perhaps unsurprising that this move has still been given a poor reception in certain quarters. British defence secretary has called it is shocking that anyone would want to play a game where they could kill British troops, while Canadian and Danish ministers have also come out against the feature.

In order to soften the blow somewhat the term ‘Taliban’ has been removed from the multiplayer game, replaced with ‘Opposing Force’, but in reality this is just window dressing.

In truth, however, the decision is unlikely to upset many gamers and the mainstream media in the way that that Modern Warfare 2 level did. If it can at least match that title in every other way – not least sales – then EA will be very happy indeed.

Medal of Honour is available on PC, Xbox 360 and Playstation 3.

Gran Turismo 5 is delayed again

The much-anticipated racing sim for the Playstation 3 – Gran Turismo 5 – has been delayed yet again. The title was due to be released in the US on 2nd November with an Irish launch within days of that but a blog post on the official Playstation site has confirmed that will now not happen.

The post goes on to promise the title in time for the ‘holiday season’ but fails to be any more specific than that.

Gran Turismo 5 has been in the pipeline since it was showcased at E3 in 2006, before the Playstation 3 was even launched. The game had previously been slated for a March 2010 launch but was pushed back to November in the middle of this year.

For what it’s worth the blog post says the reasons for the delay is that the development team “want to make certain they are creating the perfect racing experience” before it hits the shelves.

Whether that will be in time for Christmas – as suggested – remains to be seen.

Apple promises to go 'Back to the Mac' next week

Apple has sent out a teaser to the media inviting them to an event on 20th October; next Wednesday.

As always the company is keeping tight-lipped about the details, however the invite itself gives some clues on the topics due to be discussed.

Trailed as ‘Back to the Mac’ with a picture of a lion visible behind the Apple logo it is clear that the focus will be on the company’s desktop and laptop line as opposed to its iPods, iPads or iPhones.

Speculation suggests that a new MacBook Air may be on the way, with a slightly smaller screen and an even slimmer, lighter body than before. The price may also be shaved slightly in an attempt by the company to target students and young professionals.

The lion suggests the next version of Mac’s operating system – OSX – will also be previewed. Each upgrade of the system has traditionally had a big cat’s name attached and the lion is one of the few remaining.

Also in the pipeline is iWork and iLife ’11 which again is likely to be previewed next week.

Of course all of this is rumour and speculation until Steve Jobs (assuming it is Steve Jobs) takes the stage. More on this when he does.

The Samsung Wave

Next up in the teic.ie 1st birthday giveaways is a Samsung Wave, courtesy of Three mobile.

The Samsung Wave is a cracking Bada-based touch-screen phone with a beautifully sharp 3.3″ SuperAMOLED screen, a 5mp camera and a solid and slick design and interface.

This competition is now closed – a winner will be announced shortly.

The competition is only open to Irish residents and is not open to employees of Samsung, Three or Teic.ie.

Best of luck and stay tuned to the site, the twitter account and Facebook for more give-aways in the days and weeks ahead!

Microsoft has officially unveiled its new phone OS – Windows Phone 7 – with three handsets (compared to 10 in the US) running the platform to be available in Ireland in time for Christmas.

All three devices have a lot in common – not least because of Microsoft’s strict rules about minimum specifications. For example all three run on a 1GHz processor, have a 5mp camera with 720p HD video recording capabilities, have at least 8GB of internal storage (Some have 16GB) with no expandable memory slot present.

They all have unique selling points too, however. Here’s a quick round-up of what Windows Phone 7 devices will be available here before Christmas, what they have to offer and when you can get them:

The HTC HD7

HTC HD7

The intro
HTC’s follow on to the HD2, this is the Taiwanese company’s flagship handset for the Microsoft platform.

Unique selling points
Its 4.3″ screen, a kick-stand at the back for propping the handset up to watch videos and the HTC Hub app, which has unique content as well as some things that may be familiar to users of HTC’s Android phones.

Availability
The HTC HD7 will be available exclusively on the O2 network in Ireland from the 21st October.

Detailed spec
1GHz processor, 4.3-inch touchscreen display, 576MB RAM, 5-megapixel camera with 720p HD video, 8 & 16GB models, GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1.

The LG Optimus 7

LG Optimus 7

The intro
Sporting a 3.8″ WVGA screen the LG Optimus 7 is the smallest of the three WinPh7 devices to hit Irish shores this side of Christmas – something that may be appealing to many users.

Unique selling points
An augmented reality app that shows you nearby points of interest, a 360 panoramic photo app and DNLA support (meaning you can stream content from the phone to a compatible TV etc.).

Availability
The LG Optimus 7 will be available exclusively on the Vodafone network in Ireland from 21st October.

Detailed spec
3.8-inch WVGA display, a 1GHz processor, 5-megapixel camera with 720P recording, 16GB internal storage, GPS with digital compass, accelerometer, light and proximity sensors, Bluetooth 2.1, WiFi and DNLA support.

The Samsung Omnia 7

Samsung Omnia 7

The intro
The Samsung Omnia 7 sits in the middle in terms of size, sporting a 4″ SuperAMOLED screen and is the latest in the company’s Windows-based Omnia range, which tends to be business-focused.

Unique selling points
The 4″ SuperAMOLED screen is a sight to be seen and easily one of the best screen-types out there. The phone also supports the slightly faster ‘n’ WiFi standard; which coupled with what Samsung say is a physical design made with gamers in mind, will make the device more ‘gaming friendly’.

Availability
The Samsung Omnia 7 will be available from the Three, Meteor and eMobile networks in late November.

Detailed spec
1GHz Qualcomm processor, 4″ SuperAMOLED WVGA display, Bluetooth 2.1, Wi-Fi 802.11n, 5MP camera with 720p HD video recording, 8GB internal memory, FM Radio with RDS, A-GPS and 1500mAh battery.

The Canon Powershot SX210IS

The Canon Powershot SX210IS is a nice mid-level device for those want a little extra from their camera without having to break the bank, says Adam Maguire.

Canon’s Powershot range has traditionally been the company’s bridge between its consumer-level IXUS and professional-level EOS brands. The SX210IS sits at the lower end of this, taking more of the form of a consumer device than a low-rent SLR.

That is not to say it is under-powered. Sporting a 14.1 megapixel sensor and a 14x optical zoom the device offers plenty of punch despite being in quite a compact-like body. To compliment that the camera also has a Digic 4 processor – the same used in the company’s DSLRs – a 3″ widescreen display for viewing the photos you’ve taken.

In terms of features the camera is equally feature-laden. Besides all the usual presets there is also plenty of sensors – like low-light, motion and – interestingly – blink detection. The camera also offers HD video recording and includes a HDMI-out port for easy connection to a TV.

Physically the camera has a simple, squared design which fits easily into anything but the tightest of pockets. All its bells and whistles are kept nicely tucked away when the device is powered down, with the flash only popping up when it is turned on.

The controls and menu system will be familiar to anyone who has already used a canon camera. There is a click-wheel that features all the various presets at the top while a second one towards the bottom is more contextual, allowing users to scroll quickly through photos or navigate through menus depending on the situation.

There are a few notable errors in the design, however. The most notable is the lack of a regular view-finder, meaning you have to rely on the LCD screen to see what you are about to take. Most of the time this is not an issue but obviously in darker settings it can prove unreliable.

The fact that the flash automatically pops up when the device is powered on is also a bit odd – it would prove more useful if it only popped up when a photo was about to be taken in a dark area – but this is hardly the worst thing in the world.

Overall the SX210IS is a quality and easy-to-use camera, especially for anyone who has had another Canon camera. The quality of the images are strong too, even if you just rely on the ‘Auto’ setting to get your results. The additional option of HD video is also extremely handy to have available.

In short, for its price, the Powershot SX210IS is a camera worth getting, either for users stepping up for a compact or looking for a powerful but portable alternative to their DSLR. The price is quite reasonable too, meaning it will not break the bank if you do decide to take the plunge.

Buy the Canon Powershot Sx210IS from Pixmania.ie:

The HTC HD7 will be available exclusively on O2 in Ireland

HTC have announced that their HD7 smartphone – which runs on the new Windows Phone 7 OS – will be available exclusively on the O2 network in Ireland.

The handset – which is a follow-up to the behemoth that was the HD2 – will be the company’s first to run on the new Microsoft platform and is part of a deal with the network that also covers Britain and Germany.

Much like the HD2 the new HD7 will have a whopping 4.3in touch-screen and also surround-sound speakers. There is a 5mp camera and the potential for 720p HD video recording, while a handy kick-stand on the back allows users to prop the phone up while watching videos.

The HTC HD7 is one of  a raft of Windows Phone 7-based devices that are likely to hit the market in the coming weeks and months. LG have also announced the arrival of their Optimus 7 handset, which will start to roll out in Europe from the end of October.

An exact release date for the HD7 – or pricing details – are still unknown but more is likely to be released very soon.

IRMA has lost its court case against UPC to force 'three strikes' on it

The Irish Recorded Music Association has lost in a bid to force UPC to adopt a ‘three strikes’ approach to alleged illegal file sharers. UPC had argued it was a ‘mere conduit’ and so could not be held liable for information transmitted over its network.

UPC noted the decision of the court and said it was still willing to work with stakeholders in tackling the problem of piracy. In the past the company has called on a round-table discussion with all involved to try to find a workable solution.

The ‘three strikes’ principle sees users get a written warning when illegal files are believed to have been accessed by them. A second warning is sent if the activity continues telling the user they will be disconnected if it continues and if it persists the customer is then removed from the network.

Alleged illegal users are identified by IRMA, which passes the IP address on to ISPs.

Eircom are currently the only ISP to follow the system and adopted it after an out-of-court settlement with IRMA.

Today’s ruling means it will be unlikely that IRMA will be able to force other ISPs to follow suit and so leaves Eircom in an isolated and tricky position.

Update: Both Eircom and Vodafone – who had been in talks with IRMA on three strikes – have declined to comment on the ruling at present and have said they are reviewing the findings.

Windows Phone 7 will be unveiled today

The new phone operating system from Microsoft – imaginatively named Windows Phone 7 – is to be unveiled today in a number of launch events around the world. The main event will take place in New York at 2:30pm Irish time, with an event in Dublin due to start later this evening.

A number of handsets will be showcased as part of the launch, with the devices likely to hit the shelves later this month. HTC, Samsung and LG are all expected to support the OS from launch.

Windows Phone 7 has been in development for some time now and is seen as Microsoft’s first real push back against the rise of the iPhone and Google’s Android OS.

The operating system will integrate social media tools, the Zune marketplace and Xbox Live amongst other things.

O2 are to be the launch partner in Ireland and details of the event will be available on teic.ie later.

If you want to find out more before then the New York launch will be covered in a live blog on Engadget.com.

The Blackberry Bold 9700

Blackberry-maker Research In Motion (RIM) has struggled in the smartphone space lately but the Bold 9700 shows it is still a company with something to offer, says Adam Maguire.

The Blackberry Bold is the kind of phone you would expect from RIM. It has a neat, pocket-friendly body, a fairly business-focused design and a full QWERTY keyboard on the front for easy typing.

It links in with ease to e-mail accounts, though this is not the unique selling point it once was, and also offers web-browsing and standard phone functions and features.

Of course Blackberry has not escaped the ever-increasing pressure of the modern smartphone market. It too offers Twitter and Facebook integration, though only if users want to download the small applications that allow it, it has a pretty decent camera with flash and also has access to an app store for users to further kit out their devices.

What it does not have is a touch-screen, something that probably goes in its favour considering the quite notable failure of the Blackberry Storm and Storm 2. This is something that will probably alienate many regular consumers but delight just as many on the business-side.

Thankfully navigation and text input is quite easy to do, even without any kind of screen to maul in the process. Instead of the previous navigation ball there is now a square pad in the centre of the phone which can best be compared to the trackpad found on a standard laptop. It takes a bit of getting used to but is responsive and straight-forward, assuming you can be precise enough with your movements.

The keyboard is also just right, even for those users with bulky thumbs. The way each key is raised makes it easy enough to enter text on the blind and after a little bit of practice this will likely prove a more efficient way of typing than any other device-type out there.

That said the lack of a touch-screen – or at the very least the space taken up by the keyboard – means that the device is limited in what it can do. The web-browser is fine but the small screen means almost all web-pages need to be zoomed in on in order to become legible. The camera takes a decent picture but you would not really know that until you upload it to a PC, and so on.

As good as the Blackberry Bold 9700 is there is no getting away from the fact that this is a company sticking to what it knows best and not really innovating all that much. Yes, it works well and is sure to delight many Blackberry veterans but will do very little to stem the slow drip of customers away from RIM and to companies like Apple and HTC.

Assuming you are a long-time Blackberry user and simply want more of the same this device is just what you are looking for. If you feel like you would miss out in a world of limited apps and screen real estate perhaps you will need to look elsewhere.

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Buy the Blackberry Bold 9700 from O2.ie:

The Apple iPad is imperfect but superb nonetheless

It may not re-invent computing but the Apple iPad does bring it a step closer to perfection, says Adam Maguire.

It’s the most over-hyped piece of technology the world has seen since… well… the iPhone. Curiously it is also the most criticised product Apple has released since the Newton, most of this coming before it was even available in the shops.

The iPad is Apple’s attempt to apply the successes of its iPhone into the ultra-portable computing category. This is the company’s unique swing at a netbook, albeit one without the low price-point and ‘Everything you’d get in a PC only smaller’ selling point.

Physically the device is an over-sized iPhone – the 3GS version that is. Its 9.7in screen is surrounded by that familiar black frame and cushioned below by the now iconic ‘home’ button that has graced the iPhone in all its varieties.

The back is curved aluminium with little to say for itself other than the Apple logo and some other minor details.

The software too is more than an echo of the iPhone. It runs iOS – the same operating system as Apple’s phone – and uses the same kind of menu structure but in a larger form.

But it is not a large iPhone – for a start it lacks the ability to make calls (officially) and does not even have a camera to take photographs or more importantly conduct video calls.

It is not a laptop either, not least because it lacks any physical keyboard but also because its OS limits its functionality to whatever Apple allows in its App Store.

So what is the point of the iPad?

Put simply, this device is a match made in heaven for casual computing.

The iPad excels where you want to quickly reference something online without having to power up a PC. It comes into its own when you quickly want to listen to a song but do not want to rifle through your CDs to do so. It stands head and shoulders above the competition if you want to play a quick game without having to set up your TV and console.

The battery life on the device is good, in fact you can easily see it holding up for days on end when left idle, but is ready for action the minute you hit the ‘home’ button.

Of course it can be so much more than this – its superb screen and App Store access gives it potential to be a workhorse as much as a design aid – but primarily it succeeds as a device for dipping in to.

However it is clear that the iPad is – like the iPhone – a device that will improve in stages, and improve it must. There are a number of glaring omissions from the tablet which really hold it back from being perfect and you cannot help but feel that it was a tactical decision by Apple.

As mentioned already there is no camera, so no video calls or conferencing can be made.

At present there is no multi-tasking and even when there is it is not going to be as easy to flick between items as it is on a traditional desktop.

The lack of any real interface – USB, HDMI or otherwise – makes the iPad a very 2D device in terms of its place in the digital home. It can only talk to iTunes and only when physically tethered; the ability to have it interact with a phone, TV and whatever else is an exciting idea that’s sadly over-looked.

All of these issues will be resolved eventually if they are not being so already. Even with them intact the iPad is a surprisingly natural and enjoyable piece of technology to use.

It is not the most powerful, it will not replace your computer (yet) but it is the kind of thing that you will wonder how you did without once you have one.

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Buy the Apple iPad from Apple.com:

Teic.ie is one!

Teic.ie is turning one today.

Teic.ie has come on leaps and bounds since its soft launch on Monday 5th October 2009, with hundreds of articles now on the site covering news, reviews and opinion.

The site’s regional newspaper column – The Teic Bit – has also been a great success, with 5 newspapers across the country already carrying it and more on the way.

In the last few weeks Teic.ie has also been shortlisted for the ‘Best Technology Site’ category of the 2010 Irish Web Awards, a great honour after such a short time online.

So a big thanks to everyone who has visited the site, commented on the articles, interacted with @teicie on Twitter or Facebook and generally spread the love about Teic.ie.

To mark the milestone there will be a load of competitions and give-aways on the site in the days and weeks ahead. Stay tuned to the site for those and please keep coming back coming year for more news, views and reviews!

Win a Sony Ericsson Vivaz

To help mark Teic.ie’s first year in existence Sony Ericsson have kindly given the site a slick Vivaz phone to give away to one lucky reader.

The touch-based handset boasts a 3.2in HD touchscreen, an 8mp camera, plenty of storage space, Twitter and Facebook integration, GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth and much more.

The device is currently available from Vodafone, O2, Meteor and 3 priced from free to €269 depending on the network and contract.

To get one for free and with no contract to tie you down here’s what you have to do:

This article on the Sony Ericsson Vivaz competition will be posted up on the teic.ie Facebook page at the same time it goes live on teic.ie.

This competition is now closed – a winner will be announced shortly.

Names of all the entries will then be put in a hat once the competition closes and a winner will be chosen at random.

Terms and conditions:
Entries for the competition will be accepted no later than 11:59pm on Monday 11th October; the winner will be announced shortly afterwards. All entrants must be based in the Republic of Ireland and cannot be employed by Sony Ericsson or teic.ie.

Internet Explorer has dropped below 50% market share

Microsoft’s Internet Explorer (IE) has fallen below 50% market-share according to Irish stat firm StatCounter. Usage of the browser has been on the decline in recent years but this is the first time less than half of all surfers used the iconic software.

According to StatCounter the market share of IE was down to 49.87% in September, down from 67% two years ago and 95% in 2004 according to some stat companies.

Firefox is the next most popular browser – registering 31.5% according to StatCounter – while Google’s Chrome has made the leap to third with 11.54% of the market.

This is a huge step forward for the Chrome browser, which had 3.69% of the market last year and is only on the scene since September 2008.

StatCounter CEO Aodhan Cullen suggested the EU-mandated ‘browser ballot’ could be to blame for IE’s fall. This forced Microsoft to give Windows users a selection of browsers to install instead of having IE automatically installed on the desktop from the get-go.

This suggestion holds water too – IE’s fall is most pronounced in Europe where it has just over 40% of the market; in North America it is still above 50%.

This is obviously bad news for Microsoft but the company is still hoping its Internet Explorer 9 – which is available as a beta product at the moment – will be good enough to reverse the rot.

The Raving Rabbids will appear in a TV pilot

The cute-but-psychotic Raving Rabbids which debuted in Ubisoft’s Rayman series are to be turned into a TV pilot according to the French developer.

The characters will feature in an animation made by Aardman Studios which is best known for the Wallace And Gromit franchise. It has struck a deal with Ubisoft to develop a pilot with a view to making a fully-fledged series if it proves a hit.

The rabbids have already made appearances in viral clips, TV ads and as plush toys in addition to featuring in a number of games for various consoles. They have been such a hit that their most recent game – Rabbids Go Home – was the first to break away completely from the ‘Rayman’ franchise.

The next Rabbids game, Raving Rabbids: Travel in Time, will arrive in Ireland in mid-November.

The 'Phantom Black' HTC Legend will come to Ireland in October

The HTC Legend and Desire smartphones will be available in new colours in Ireland this month according to the Taiwanese corporation. The previously silver Legend will now also ship in ‘phantom black’ while the Desire will sport a ‘brilliant white’ face-lift.

The change is purely aesthetic, however, with the phones’ innards remaining just the same as their other-coloured stable-mates.

According to HTC both handset refreshes will ship across Europe (and only Europe, for now at least) in October. Carriage and price details for Ireland are currently unknown.

Of course people in the market for a new HTC smartphone might be more inclined to invest in the slightly more advanced Desire HD or Desire Z phones, but that’s a different story altogether.

Windows Phone 7 will launch in Dublin on 11th Oct

Following a vague invite late last week Microsoft has confirmed that its event on 11th Oct will be to launch Windows Phone 7. The Dublin event will start at 6pm local time, meaning it will actually be 2 hours ahead of the New York launch due for the same day (though a few hours behind London’s).

Windows Phone 7 is the latest phone operating system from Microsoft and will compete to regain some of the market-share eaten up by the arrival of the Apple iPhone and Google’s Android OS.

The operating system will have social media integration at its core, along with a link to the Xbox Live system and Zune audio store.

HTC, Samsung and LG are all expected to support the system at launch and the first handset should arrive in Ireland before Christmas.

Teic.ie will be at the Dublin launch next week and will report back on the details once available.

One of many views of Dublin's O'Connell St taken by Google's cameras

Contrary to earlier reports that it would come tomorrow, Google Street View is now live in Ireland. More than 80,000km of road has been captured, covering streets in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford.

Street View allows users to get a street-level look at places on Google Maps. The information is gathered by a specially adapted car – or trike – which has a 360 degree camera mounted on top of it.

The end result should be a clear view of what you would see if you were actually standing on the street. Some things will be blurred, however, namely some faces and number plates.

This will obviously have many advantages to people looking to get around but it is also likely to lead to many funny discoveries as people trawl through the images.

Indeed there are already a number of websites in existence that are dedicated solely to odd and surreal moments captured by the Street View camera.

On the flip side the service has attracted plenty of negative attention. Countries like Germany have recently been cracking down on the service out of privacy concerns. Earlier this year it was also revealed that Google had unintentionally – at least according to them – collected people’s private data via the Street View car.