Daver's Blog

2009-02-12T22:23:00.001Z

Watching the panel

2009-02-12T17:36:00.001Z

Negative inflation for first time since 1960 (http://ping.fm/w7w8n)

2009-02-12T17:17:00.001Z

just added the google friend connect to http://ping.fm/4KBkl dunno if i'll keep it or not

2009-02-12T15:58:00.001Z

more updates

2009-02-12T15:48:00.001Z

updating more and more stuff with Ping.fm

2008-08-09T10:34:00.001+01:00

Road Closure - Kerry News Blog

2008-05-27T10:48:00.001+01:00

Road Closure - Kerry News Blog

Killarney Bikefest

2008-05-27T10:16:00.001+01:00

I was reading over on bloggarriv about the Killarney Bikefest June 6th to 8th.

A great ad

2008-03-17T20:22:00.000Z

Quote of the Day

2008-01-18T11:49:00.001Z

Barack Obama faced embarrassment over comments made by his Chicago pastor and spiritual mentor, the Rev Jeremiah Wright, who said in a sermon that blacks should not vote for Mrs Clinton because (Bill Clinton) "did the same thing to us that he did to Monica Lewinsky".

read in todays Irish Independent

Wii-mote can be used like Minority Report ish

2007-11-13T16:09:00.000Z

Control stuff on screen with your bare hands!

Review: Super Mario Galaxy

2007-11-12T10:39:00.000Z

The reason to buy a Wii is here

Super Mario Galaxy
Score: 9.5
Format: Nintendo Wii
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Genre: Platform, Adventure
computerandvideogames.com

We can't think of a game from the last 12 months that has made us smile as much as Super Mario Galaxy. Whether it's the utterly charming barks of bouncing Chain Chomps, the whimsical banter of the cutesy space bees or the downright awesome flights from one exploding planet to another, Super Mario Galaxy oozes charm and guarantees to please almost anyone.

Galaxy's use of the Wii Remote is flawless as it doesn't make the mistake of throwing motion control in your face. The game simply wouldn't be as fun without it. Things like firing a cannon is a lot more intuitive using the Wii Remote, but the most obvious utilisation of the controller is the cursor, which you can dart around the screen at all times to collect Starbits (used to unlock several 'mini-game' galaxies) and them fire them back at the screen using the B trigger.

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The main means of interaction in Galaxy is through shaking the Remote, which executes Mario's new spin attack. Punch and kick moves have been axed for this new means of interaction, which makes sense, as it's incorporated in the gameplay for tasks like activating cannon-like launch stars and swinging up vines. Thankfully it's not just another example of dodgy Wii 'waggle'.

Grapple stars are perhaps the most brilliant example of Galaxy's Wii Remote use. Using the remote cursor you simply aim and press A to home Mario in on the stars, allowing you to 'grab' and hop between lines of them like grapple points, all the while dodging space mines and projectiles. It's incredibly satisfying and is the set-up for some fantastic racing sequences later on.

Galaxy also plays around with gravity and physics like no Mario game before it. You'll flip gravity to navigate giant block mazes, use a planet's gravity to propel yourself to a new platform and shoot into the stars. It's not as revolutionary as Mario 64, but it certainly re-defines what we expect from a 3D platformer.

The concept of running around giant spheres can be daunting at first; if there's no pulsating black hole underneath your planet, falling off the edge just doesn't come into the equation. Without the pulling power of the black holes, no matter where you run or jump gravity will twist and pull you towards the planet, allowing you to run all the way around it and even jump to other planets by hopping into their gravitational pull. It's awesome.

If you're on a flat, orbiting platform you can run right underneath it, which opens up all kinds of gameplay that would be impossible under Mario 64's laws of gravity - and allows the scale of Mario's playgrounds to grow to genuinely draw-dropping proportions.

Shooting off into the stratosphere in one of Galaxy's many willy-waving cinematic moments, there were actual gasps at the beauty and scale of the starry world around us. The void-ish nature of Galaxy's world means Nintendo has been able to spend polygons liberally on the environment and it's easily the most draw-dropping game on Wii. And yes, we do mean draw-dropping.

Just like Mario 64 the game takes place in a hub world, this time around a starship headed up by space-age princess Rosalina and her race of Lumas (they're the little star blokes). Predictably, the Lumas need you to get collect stars to get their ship up and running again so you can chase down the star-bound Bowser. There are 120 to collect - many hidden - and it'll take you about as long as '64 to collect them all (and that's a good few hours).

After the disappointingly similar environments of Sunshine there's thankfully a much larger variety of worlds this time around too. Amazingly, despite the fact there are now only three "story" stars to collect per world, Galaxy's playgrounds aren't all pint-sized either (although there are one-off "platforming" worlds - which are rock hard and bloody brilliant).

We were delighted to find that the majority are as big - if not larger - than the locales of Mario 64, and unlike Sunshine many will make you smile like the time you first dived into the pirate cove in Mario 64.

It's a consistently surprising experience and we wouldn't dare spoil it for you, but Galaxy will take you places that will remind you why you play videogames.

One world we will speak about (because you've probably already seen it several times) is the bee Galaxy, where Mario finds one of the game's many transformations and becomes Bee Mario.

After Sunshine we thought Nintendo wouldn't ever be able to add new characters and environments to Mario without them feeling out of place, but Galaxy has thankfully proven us wrong. The buzzers and honeycomb world of the bee Galaxy are some of most charming we've seen in a long time, and we absolutely demand that the bees crop up in more Mario adventures.

It's a perfect example of how Nintendo doesn't need to re-write (all) the rules to make a fresh-feeling 3D platformer. As Bee Mario you can fly upwards for several seconds, step on flower platforms and climb honeycomb walls. Touch water however and you'll instantly transform into regular fat Mario - so you can imagine the fun when Nintendo's level designers come in and slap waterfalls and lakes all over the place.

But Galaxy's real success is in its ability to surprise, which it does consistently from start to finish. Just when you think Nintendo's out of ideas you're blasted off to another world that's even crazier and more creative than the last.

When Mario launches off at eruption-point from the surface of an orbiting Volcano, jetting into the stars with starbits dancing at his feet, we dare any fan of videogames not to crack a smile. And at a time when gamers are shelling out 400 quid for the "next-gen" experience, it's incredibly refreshing that the Wii can still offer some truly amazing gaming moments.

Nintendo said all along that it went for gameplay over graphics with Wii. But with Mario Galaxy it got both perfect. Not only is Galaxy a worthy successor to one of the best games ever made, but it's one of the most entertaining platform games we've ever played.

Andy Robinson

Liverpool win 8-0

2007-11-08T19:02:00.000Z

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games

2007-10-17T11:21:00.000+01:00

This game is a must have!

Mario Kart Wii

2007-10-11T15:28:00.000+01:00

Video footage of Super Mario galaxy

2007-10-11T15:25:00.000+01:00

Mario & Sonic at the Olympics

2007-10-10T14:43:00.000+01:00

Here’s a nice surprise: Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games is going to having a Mii feature of some sort. In this screenshot of the character select screen, taken from a playable demo of the game at the Wii Connection Tour in Australia, you can clearly see a big “Mii” button. We’ve helpfully included a giant red arrow, so you can’t miss it.

We don’t want to get our hopes up too high, but using our Miis to race against Sonic and company would be lotsa fun. We have reservations, mainly because Sega and Nintendo can be fiercely protective of their trademarks, but the game would have a brilliant user-generated vibe if a custom Mii could interact with these iconic characters. Best not to speculate, we’ll all know sure enough come November 23rd.

via: wiiwii.tv

Wii Internet Channel

2007-10-10T14:39:00.000+01:00

Over 80 titles for Nintendo Wii to be launched for Xmas

2007-10-09T14:05:00.000+01:00

Wii won’t be lonely this Christmas with over 80 titles set to be released

Soon snow will be falling, all around, and they will be children playing, having fun! It’ll be the season of love and understanding - Merry Christmas! Everyone! Too soon? With Chrimbo only 76 days away, it’s certainly not too early for game publishers to start their big push for this very lucrative period.

Screen Digest know this. The media analyst publication has produced a report that shows what we can expect from the next-gen consoles in the next three months. The Wii will see the most titles released in the final quarter, with a massive tally of 86 titles. That is almost double that of the 360 (47 titles) and the PS3 (38 titles). These figures mean that not only has Wii surpassed the 360 in terms of console units sold, it’s on course to overtake them on the software front too. By early 2008, it is predicted that the Wii’s library of games will be bigger than the 360’s.

The “quality over quantity” maxim must be mentioned, and you can guarantee that a proportion of the Wii titles will be shoddy games, trying to cash in on the wave of success the console is riding at the moment. With a quarter of Wii releases being exclusive to the console, however, it does show that it is the console of choice for developers at the moment. If you compare those figures with the 360 (8 exclusive titles) and PS3 (5 exclusives), the situation becomes clearer. The question is whether developers are making games for the Wii because of the lower development costs and its similarities with known hardware (the Cube), or because of it’s growing fanbase. Either way, Wii owners will be getting a lot more choice this Christmas.

from: wiiwii.tv

Nintendo will not meet Xmas Wii demand

2007-10-02T11:13:00.000+01:00

There might be a Wii problem this Christmas as Reggie Fils-Aime, president of Nintendo of America, has gone on record to say that the company will be unable to meet demand for its Wii console this holiday season. Fils-Aime said the firm was working hard to try to satisfy customers by Christmas but that Nintendo would not be able to meet consumer demand.

iPhone European Launch

2007-08-22T13:54:00.000+01:00

The iPhone is due to be launched in Europe at the end of the year. The official announcement of the names of the three operators who will hold the European licences for the phone will be made at the Ifa electronics fair taking taking place in Berlin from August 31st to September 5th.

Sorry, couldnt resist posting this one

2007-08-21T17:20:00.000+01:00

Sevilla coach Juande Ramos is due to take over, possibly even in time for [hold those sides] Sunday's [ahahahaha, new corset Mr Barwick?] relegation six-pointer at Old Trafford.

from The Fiver

Will there be a bidding war for GAA coverage?

2007-08-17T11:48:00.000+01:00

This is an article from todays Indo:

Game on as TV stations fight for the rights to show GAA matches

THE battle for the TV rights to the next three years of Gaelic Games has kicked off with Setanta, TV3 and RTE all meeting the GAA in recent days. Mainstream GAA games have traditionally been the domain of RTE, but both Setanta and TV3 say they're "very serious" about bidding for a substantial number of the games this time round.

Their interest should propel the prices for GAA rights to new highs, with some suggesting the €120m paid to show the Premier League in Ireland for three years could be a good marker. The GAA is expected to issue a formal tender document in the coming weeks, and sources said a deal was likely "before Christmas". That tender package will include the football and hurling Championships, as well as league games for men's sports only.

All three stations said they were particularly intertested in the Championship games and would make competitive bids for them. Both TV3 and RTE hope to impress the GAA with their blanket coverage of Irish homes, but Setanta chief executive Niall Cogley said his station still hoped they could have some involvement.

"We've had a long relationship with the GAA internationally and we've been covering GAA for years with our sports programmes, so we see live games as the next logical step," said Mr Cogley.

Mr Cogley added his company was open to explore all options to be involved in the coverage, including a joint venture with another station such as TV3. David McRedmond TV3's chief executive said he hadn't ruled out bidding with another station for the games.

"We'll have to wait for the tender to come out before we make any call on how we'll approach it," he said. "We're a national station, these are the national games, and we'll certainly be bidding."

RTE head of sport Glen McGahern said the GAA remained a "hugely important" element for RTE". We'll be making every effort humanly possible to make sure that these rights are secured for RTE."

Another quote from "The Fiver"

2007-08-16T12:01:00.000+01:00

A demolition crew has finally finished the work begun by visiting England football supporters in 1995 and razed the Republic of Ireland's former rented accommodation, Lansdowne Road, to the ground.

I know its only August but...

2007-08-09T15:32:00.000+01:00

... I have booked my holiday for Winter 07/08 Ski trip. Well I have flights booked anyway.

The plan is to fly to San Francisco for Christmas Day and then drive up to Lake Tahoe on the California/Nevada border for the skiing (and many trips to the Casinos over the border in Nevada!!) So far it looks like we will be skiing in a resort called "Heavenly", which straddles the border.

I will be posting more info etc when I actually have it.

Landowne Road almost gone

2007-07-25T10:41:00.000+01:00

This picture from the Irish Independent shows the level of destruction that has taken place at Landsdowne Road, in Dublin. The oldest international rugby ground in the world is practically reduced to rubble. Only the DART line is saving the West stand from obliteration. However, that is only until the August Bank Holiday weekend, when the line will be closed over the weekend to allow demolition of the last remaining piece of the old stadium.

Malmo has moved to Spain

2007-07-20T11:27:00.000+01:00

Here is a clip from todays Indo. Looks like they think Malmo has moved to Spain.

Trinity introduces video game Masters

2007-07-04T16:18:00.000+01:00

The first Masters degree in video games to be offered by an Irish university will begin at Trinity College in October. The year-long Masters in Interactive Entertainment will be open to 25 students who have achieved a minimum of a 2:1 honours degree in Computer Science or related degree such as maths, science or engineering.

Students will study the science and technology behind the video game entertainment and will study in a specially designed game laboratory. The course has been designed in collaboration with some of the world's top game industry companies including Microsoft.

The deadline for application for the coming academic term is 31 July.

Rivals for the iPhone

2007-06-29T15:41:00.000+01:00

This clip shows some of the rivals for the iphone currently available. Just as well seeing as the iPhone doesnt even have a launch date in Europe.

More iPhone coverage

2007-06-29T15:33:00.000+01:00

Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt shows his iPhone after being asked about company partnerships.

tPhones on sale in China

2007-06-27T13:58:00.000+01:00

In China you can already buy a tPhone, which is an attempt of iPhone piracy. See the clip below.

The real iPhones are on sale in the US on Friday 29th June 2007

Vodafone to be iPhone operator in Europe?

2007-06-27T12:02:00.000+01:00

Vodafone is among the frontrunners to become the network operator for Apple's iPhone when it comes to Europe, according to investment bank Credit Suisse. A recent Credit Suisse research note said the UK-based mobile operator could walk away with the sole rights to sell the iPhone in Europe. Credit Suisse believes Vodafone would represent a good bet for Apple as it's able to offer a presence in most European markets.

In the US, Apple has signed an exclusive five-year deal with AT&T to be sole operator for the iPhone -- and Credit Suisse believes a similar deal could be brokered in Europe. Vodafone's chief rival appears to be Deutsche Telekom, according to Credit Suisse.

Mike Grant, consultant at research company Analysys, told silicon.com the operator would be a good choice for bringing the Apple mobile phone to Europe if the device is 3G ready: "If Apple waits until [the iPhone's] a 3G phone, then yes, I would say Vodafone is absolutely the frontrunner. It would be a perfect match."

Grant said Vodafone has been aggressive about the positioning of its 3G mobile internet service so the fact the current iPhone is only 2G could be an issue. He added it would be a significant coup for whichever mobile operator secures a deal to supply the iPhone. Credit Suisse predicts the European operator for the iPhone can expect to sell around 6 million of the devices in the first three years. The iPhone is set to launch in the US on 29 June. A release date for Europe has not yet been announced.

Journey break the Top 10

2007-06-26T14:32:00.001+01:00

Journey's 1981 song "Don't stop believin'" has stormed to NUmber 9 in the iTunes charts (See right) following a campaign by the Ray Foley Show on todayfm. Ray and his listeners previously got Jonny Cash - A Boy Nmaed Sue into the Irish charts and now Journey are the next target. This follows on from the songs playing as the background music for the closing scenes in The Sopranos.

See the previous post (click here) for the link to download this song from iTunes.

Journey: Don't Stop Believin'

2007-06-25T16:31:00.000+01:00

Ray Foley on todayfm wants you to buy Journey: Don't Stop Believin'
so click here (its a link to the song on iTunes)

Will we get Journey back into the charts? Its up to you

Apple's iPhone gets pre-launch upgrade

2007-06-19T15:57:00.000+01:00

Apple says that it has addressed two major concerns that had been hanging over its yet-to-be-launched iPhone, which is due to hit shops on 26 June. The company said the phone would offer eight hours of talktime, instead of five as previously announced. This is almost twice the battery life of its expected smartphone rivals, the Palm Treo and BlackBerry Curve. Apple also said that the touchscreen surface of the phone had been upgraded from clear plastic to optical-quality glass, making it less susceptible to scratching.

All told, Apple claims that the iPhone will be able to support up to eight hours of talk time, six hours of internet use, seven hours of video playback, or 24 hours of audio playback. Tech analysts remain somewhat skeptical of the new phone's prospects though; Shan Wu of American Technology research has reason to believe that the iPhone's battery life will not be a great deal longer than existing smartphones. In addition, the iPhone's battery cannot be swapped out by the user, something that has become a frustrating limitation for users of Apple's iPod music player.

Apple shares on the Nasdaq stock exchange rose by almost 4 percent after the announcement. Anticipation of the iPhone launch has pushed the shares up by 40 percent in recent months.

Meanwhile, prospects for the iPhone on both sides of the Atlantic have received a boost with the release of survey results that show huge demand for the phone from consumers, despite its high retail price. In the US, mobile market research firm M:Metrics released data on Monday showing that 19 million Americans have a 'strong interest' in purchasing the phone.

The same company also carried out research in the UK and found that 56 percent of mobile users there were aware of the iPhone and that 30 percent, or 7 million in total, had a strong interest in buying one. The iPhone will be distributed exclusively by AT&T in the US for the first five years. Indications are that Vodafone and Orange are leading the race to secure a similar deal in Europe.

Symbian technology daily blog: 3 million iPhones soon on store shelves

2007-06-14T12:05:00.000+01:00

Business Week is reporting that Apple will have no fewer than three million iPhones on store shelves at launch day (June 29). Put looking at latest ads users will need to sign minimum new 2-year activation plan. AT&T has said it will not offer customers the opportunity to pre-order the iPhone.

Symbian technology daily blog: 3 million iPhones soon on store shelves

"The Fiver" Quote of the Day

2007-06-07T17:28:00.001+01:00

"He has the size and stature to lead our front line" - Sam Allardyce tiptoes delicately around the "f" word as he assesses Mark Viduka's arrival at Newcastle.

Apple confirm iPhone launch date

2007-06-05T18:46:00.000+01:00

Apple has confirmed it will launch its mobile phone, the iPhone, in the US on 29 June. News of the long-anticipated launch date saw shares in Apple jump nearly 2.5 percent on the Nasdaq. The phone will start selling at a USD500 price point to AT&T Wireless customers only.

Why Apple's iPhone is Not the Next iPod

2007-05-23T14:41:00.000+01:00

It would take a pretty technologically insular personality to be oblivious of the fact that Apple's long awaited iPhone is being released next month. Ever since the release of the iPod six years ago, Apple's best advertising has come free of charge. It's not surprising then that nowadays just about everyone seems to be talking about the company's latest creation; The Apple iPhone

Apple has a history of being cutting-edge: it invented the PC as we know it today, and back in 1983 it was the first organization to introduce a personal computer that used the graphical user interface. The company went on to introduce the Mac in 1984, the Power Book 100 in 1991, and of course the iPod in 2001. Its latest device continues this tradition of innovation.

With the impending release of the iPhone, Apple is digging its heels into the forefront of a movement not simply to change the face of the cell phone market, but rather to continue radicalizing the digital consumer electronics industry as we know it. While smart phones that allow consumers to listen to music, surf the Net and make phone calls already exist, Apple's new venture aims to take the concept of user friendliness to levels that no other phone has achieved, by coupling a revolutionary multi-touch user interface with the convenience of consolidation.

But is the iPhone going to be able to achieve the same success levels as the iPod?

Why Apple's iPhone is Not the Next iPod

The Fiver Quote

2007-05-22T17:23:00.000+01:00

Patrick Vieira plans to use football camps to help underprivileged African kids once he's done playing. "Many don't know how to read or write," sobbed Paddy - who presumably hopes exposure to the beautiful game will help them attain the literary heights of England's autobiography-penning heroes.

Sky scraps Sky+ subscription charge

2007-05-21T16:24:00.001+01:00

Sky has announced on the Digital Spy forums that it will scrap the £10 monthly subscription charge for its Sky+ PVR service from July 1.

The announcement by the Sky+ team confirms that the Sky+ charge "will be removed for all Sky Digital customers subscribed to any Sky Digital package" at the start of July. Sky HD customers are not affected, as the £10 Sky+ fee is already "waived", and should a Sky+ owner cease subscribing to a Sky Digital package they will have to resume paying the £10 per month charge to continue to access the Sky+ functionality.

Sky told our forum members: "Many of you have said that you want Sky+, but to get it, it needs to be more affordable. We believe that by removing the Sky+ subscription cost for Sky Digital customers, it will mean that more of you are able to enjoy the benefits of Sky+."

Apple gets go ahead for iPhone launch

2007-05-18T11:57:00.000+01:00

Apple's iPhone has been given the green light to take a bite out of the US handset market as the firm bit back at false rumours that sent shares plummeting.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has given its seal of approval to Apple's iPhone, clearing the way for the handset to hit the US market next month. "The iPhone has passed its required FCC certification milestone and is on schedule to ship in late June as planned," Apple spokeswoman Natalie Kerris told Reuters. US telecoms firm AT&T plans to start selling the iPhone late next month.

The iPhone was unveiled by Apple chief executive Steve Jobs in January and is expected to come to market with a price tag of USD500. News of FCC approval came after Apple had to quell rumours of a delay to the iPhone which initiated a USD2.8 billion dollar panic.

While the FCC report spells good news for consumers in the US, Irish customers will likely have to wait a while before getting their hands on the iPhone. The Irish Times said on Tuesday reports that the iPhone media player from Apple may not be available initially in Ireland when it launches in Europe later this year, if Apple signs its anticipated European distribution deal with T-Mobile. The German telco, which has no relationship with any Irish mobile network, is believed to be the favourite instead of Vodafone to land the deal.

Irish Examiner Scoop!

2007-05-15T11:30:00.000+01:00

Have a look at http://www.examiner.ie/ for the scoop that the Examiner journos got ahead of anyone else in the country!

Below is the text of the astonishing article:

test claire 3
test claire 3

test claire 3test claire 3test claire 3test claire 3

test claire 3test claire 3test claire 3test claire 3test claire 3test claire 3test claire 3test claire 3test claire 3test claire 3

Hurricane Season is ON!

2007-05-11T13:07:00.000+01:00

Here is the proof that hurricance seaon has started: Subtropical Depression Andrea.

Mind you it is only a sub-tropical depression and according to the chart will not get any stronger. Never the less it is the begining and the first Named storm of the Atlantic Hurricane Season

Read more: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/index.shtml

Meteor: Mail to SMS

2007-05-11T13:00:00.000+01:00

Just uncovered this little gem during the week: If you send an email to a Meteor's customer number @sms.mymeteor.ie they receive the text of the email as an SMS text message on their mobile.

eg send a mail to 0851234567@sms.mymeteor.ie, and they receive it as a text.

The only downside to it is that they see the sender as something like SMS Mail or similar, and cannot reply (directly) to the SMS, although the senders email address is included in the text message.

Irish Rail invent new 25 hour clock

2007-05-03T15:43:00.000+01:00

Irish Rail have invented a way to make up time for a delayed train service. They have invented a new 25 hour clock!

See the times selected in the timetable search to right, from 0:00 to 24:00, thats 25 hours.

IDIOTS!

Do a timetable search yourself on Irish Rail's website

Technorati not recognising upgraded Blogger

2007-05-03T15:17:00.000+01:00

I upgraded my old blogger to the beta and subsequently new blogger as soon as I had the chance. The new blogger is an improvement on the old one. I have only 1 complaint. Technorati doesnt recognise my new upgraded Blogger. Technorati doesnt change the "Updated On" date. Technorati doesnt recognise the tags ("labels") that I add to my posts.

So is this a Technorati bug or a Blogger bug?

Technorati does however work fine for any new blogs that are created in Blogger.

Vincent Browne Tackles Taoiseach at Manifesto Launch

2007-05-03T12:31:00.000+01:00

Vincent Brown in a sustained line of questioning, tackled the Taoiseach on the £30k issue at the Fianna Fáil Manifesto Launch in the Mansion House.

The direct questions which included dates, locations and amounts were comprehensively answered by the Taoiseach, who explained to the capacity audience that the funds were given to Ms Larkin by Michael Wall to allow her administer renovations to the house which they were renting at the time. He further explained he had provided the full details to the tribunal including the receipts for the renovations and that he would be happy to deal with any questions they had in due course. Browne accepted that there was no connection between these funds and Quarryvale and no other journalist followed up the line of questioning.

The Taoiseach received a sustained applause at the end of Browne’s line of questioning.

In Web Uproar, Antipiracy Code Spreads Wildly

2007-05-03T12:22:00.000+01:00

There is open revolt on the Web.
(Jim Wilson/The New York Times. San Francisco, May 2)

Sophisticated Internet users have banded together over the last two days to publish and widely distribute a secret code used by the technology and movie industries to prevent piracy of high-definition movies.

The broader distribution of the code may not pose a serious threat to the studios, because it requires some technical expertise and specialized software to use it to defeat the copy protection on Blu-ray and HD DVD discs. But its relentless spread has already become a lesson in mob power on the Internet and the futility of censorship in the digital world.

An online uproar came in response to a series of cease-and-desist letters from lawyers for a group of companies that use the copy protection system, demanding that the code be removed from several Web sites.

Rather than wiping out the code — a string of 32 digits and letters in a specialized counting system — the legal notices sparked its proliferation on Web sites, in chat rooms, inside cleverly doctored digital photographs and on user-submitted news sites like Digg.com.

read more

Perfect Timing!

2007-05-02T14:24:00.000+01:00

Well, talk about perfect timing. I am so glad I dont have to put up this on the way to and from work everyday. Also, do they realise what they are suggesting; "Take an alternative route". Once you get there (Ballyvourney), there is nowhere else to go. And it is going to run until almost the end of August.

What are these road works for anyway. They would be better off saving the money and putting it into a new road to bypass the sorry-ass excuse of a road that is there now.

end.of.rant.

What lies at the end of a rainbow?

2007-04-23T11:18:00.000+01:00

A picture truly paints a thousand words. Click on the picture to see its full size, where you can read the name on the sign "The Beer Store"

The Beeb using bad grammar?

2007-04-20T17:00:00.000+01:00

Now I am not saying that my grammar is anything to write about, but surely an institution like the BBC would/should get it right? Isnt "referenda" the plural of "referendum"??

Transatlantic Ryanair

2007-04-12T11:13:00.000+01:00

Going transatlantic; O'Leary plans long-haul airline
With "the cheapest fare €10 ($12)", O'Leary expects the services, to secondary airports such as Baltimore, Providence in Rhode Island and New York Long Island Islip Macarthur "to be full". He expects sales of food, drink, duty-free goods and in-flight entertainment to be a major revenue earner.

link: flightglobal.com

For a full analysis of how O'Leary's plans are likely to impact the industry, read next week's Flight International, which goes on sale in the UK on Tuesday 17 April with its content available online from 16 April on flightglobal.com

Quote of the Day (from The Fiver)

2007-04-11T17:24:00.001+01:00

"Cristiano Ronaldo is a puffball who's never done it on a big occasion ... I don't think they'll do it tonight because they're playing against good, experienced professionals. Maybe I'll have an egg on my face in a few hours' time but I doubt it" - RTE pundit Eamon Dunphy before the MU Rowdies beat Roma 7-1 last night.

"It was a great performance by players who've never played like that before ... but Roma were very poor. They're 18 points behind Inter in Serie A" - RTE pundit Eamon Dunphy after the MU Rowdies beat Roma 7-1 last night.

The end of an era, and the start of a new one

2007-04-11T12:47:00.000+01:00

Well I am no longer working in Cork City. Thats the end of that era.

I am now working in Tralee, which is the start of a new era. The reason for this is to cut short a daily return commute of 180km to a more manageable daily return of 60km. This also gives me an extra 2 hours to myself every day because of the shorter journeys involved. The main time-saving is caused by the fact that I no longer need to negotiate the inevitable traffic build-up on the roundabouts on the South Ring Road.

There are 3 roundabouts to negotiate on the main road into Tralee, but I hear there is a "workaround".

France celebrates new world rail speed record

2007-04-03T17:00:00.000+01:00

A French high-speed train has set a new world record for a train on rails. The TGV reached 574 kilometres an hour on a stretch of track between Paris and the eastern city of Strasbourg. The existing TGV record, set in 1990, was 515km/h. French engineering outfit, Alstom, hopes the test will boost TGV sales abroad, where it is competing with the Japanese Shinkansen and the German Inter-City Express high-speed trains.

The absolute train speed record was set by a Japanese magnetic levitation train - Maglev - in 2003. It reached 581km/h.

Can you believe it? A train traveling at 574kmh. Thats the equivalent of Dublin to Cork in under 30mins. However, I can imagine what price the tickets would be!!

link: EuroNews

Blu Ray Discs available on Amazon

2007-03-29T14:45:00.000+01:00

Click here to see the latest best sellers in the Blu Ray world, provided by Amazon.co.uk DVD

Xbox 360 "Elite" console launched to combat PS3

2007-03-28T16:47:00.000+01:00

From ENN:
New Xbox tries to steal PS3's thunder
Hot on the heels of the new PlayStation 3 release, Microsoft has announced it plans to launch a new Xbox 360 "Elite" console.

From BBC:
Xbox revamp aims at digital home
The Elite machine is capable of storing more high definition video
The long-awaited revamp of the Xbox 360, designed to store and display high definition video, has been launched.

The black Elite console has a 120GB hard drive and will go on sale in the US in April for $479.99 (£255). No details of a UK (or Irish) release were announced.

From Yahoo:
Microsoft to sell Xbox 360 with larger hard drive
Los Angeles (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp. said on Tuesday it will begin selling a new version of its Xbox 360 console that transmits high-definition video and comes with a larger hard drive in its latest effort to position the video game machine as a digital media hub.

Microsoft's new Xbox 360 Elite, with a 120-gigabyte hard drive and High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) port, will be available on April 29 in the United States and Canada for $479.99

Blu-Ray vs HD-DVD

2007-03-28T13:34:00.000+01:00

Click here to see how Blu-Ray and HD-DVD sales are going.

Also: here

10 Reasons Why PS3 Will Win This Console Generation

2007-03-28T13:30:00.000+01:00

Insomniac Games Chief Creative Officer Brian Hastings discusses why the PS3 is the console to beat

First of all, let me make it clear that Insomniac is a 100% independent development studio. Sony has neither endorsed nor authorized what I’m writing here.

When I started this blog post I was planning to write about Home and Little Big Planet from a developer’s perspective. But as I read some of the media and message board responses to Sony’s GDC presentation, I wanted to address an ongoing industry phenomenon. Specifically, the sheer volume of negative spin toward Sony from both the mainstream press and the internet community. Mere minutes after Sony announced a beautiful, ground breaking, free, community-enhancing online PS3 service, 100 internet posters were trying to argue that this was somehow a bad thing. Whether you love or hate Sony, if you’re trying to spin Home as a bad thing I can only conclude that you’re part of Microsoft’s $3.2 billion viral marketing campaign.

I’ll be the first to say that Sony has had a very rough road from last E3 up through this year’s GDC. Some of their wounds have been self-inflicted, but they’ve also had to face a conspicuously hostile media. Take the New York Times article “How the PS3 will kill your dog, steal your girlfriend, and infect you with Ebola.” And Time magazine’s piece “Global Warming: Is It The PS3?” And more recently, GameSpot’s “Ten Complaints We Thought Up While Everyone Else Was Watching Little Big Planet.”

For the last nine months it has been fashionable to bash the PS3. At first it was controversial, even titillating, to make sensational and dire predictions about the PS3’s future. You could watch it happen again and again – a rumor starts on a message board (“The PS3s all caught on fire at TGS!”, “Blu-Ray won’t have any Porn!”), then it gets picked up by a games industry website, and a few days later USA Today runs the story with the headline “Experts Say PS3 Doom3d!1!!” But the tide has changed so much now that it’s downright controversial to suggest that the PS3 may yet be a success. So, in the spirit of sensationalism and controversy, let me present to you 10 reasons why the PS3 will be the console market leader by 2010:

1. Home & Little Big Planet
One of my jobs at Insomniac is to try to come up with “the next big thing.” This is something everyone at Insomniac does, but as Chief Creative Officer it’s also part of my job description. For the last two years there have been two concepts that I have felt had the strongest potential to be the next big thing. At GDC, Sony came out of the blue and delivered fully-realized versions of both concepts.

The first concept is a realization of the ‘Metaverse’ from Neal Stephenson’s groundbreaking novel Snow Crash. For those who haven’t read it, it’s what inspired Second Life. Over the last couple years, many of us at Insomniac have come up with lots of different ideas on how to make such a system for consoles. So when Home came out, already nearly complete and looking beautiful, it was both amazing and humbling at the same time. In short, Home is exactly what the online console community needs. I’m not saying that because it’s on the PS3. I’m saying that because Home is a fully realized version of something I’ve been trying to figure out how to do for two years.

The other “next big thing” I had been thinking about is how to make a game that is primarily driven by player-generated content. So when Little Big Planet was announced I felt like Orville Wright tinkering on a bicycle-powered balsa wood plane as a learjet suddenly flew overhead. Not only does Little Big Planet have stunningly beautiful graphics, gorgeous animation, brilliant physics and intuitive controls, it’s also a cooperative four player online game! This alone makes it accessible to a much greater audience than player vs player games. And most important of all, it has an absolutely ingenuous system for creating and sharing your own levels. This is HUGE. This is something that’s never been done on consoles and now it’s being introduced not as a half-baked add-on to another game, but as an absolutely brilliant, fully realized, breathtaking experience. You can bet that dozens of developers will create their own Little Big Planet levels as soon as it comes out. Many future game designers will get their start by designing Little Big Planet levels. Gamers who previously had no way to get their foot in the door as a game designer will have developers calling them in the middle of the night if they make a top-rated LBP level. I say again, Little Big Planet is HUGE.

It’s humbling to know that other developers had not only thought of these two concepts, but brought them to fruition in such stunning fashion. Mostly, though, it’s very encouraging to see Sony taking more of a lead in online innovation. While some people were accusing them of merely copying the competition, Sony has been quietly working on two of the most innovative ideas of this generation. “Mii too?” Give me a break.

2. Free Online
Among all the talk about the price of Sony’s console, I almost never see anyone mention the significance of Sony’s free online service. Xbox Live Gold costs $70 to sign up for 1 year, or $20 for three months. You can renew your membership for $50 a year. So if the Xbox 360 stays around for five years, you’ll be paying 70 + 50 + 50 + 50 + 50 = $270 to access features that Sony gives you for free.

I agree, Xbox Live is overall offering a better online service right now. But $270 better? And Sony is steadily narrowing the gap in online features. With improvements to the messaging system and support for background downloading, Sony is rapidly catching up with many of the key advantages that Live has enjoyed. Add to that the fact that Sony is offering virtually lag-free dedicated servers at no cost, while on Xbox Live you are paying for a more laggy peer-to-peer service. Furthermore, one of the biggest advertised features of Xbox Live is matchmaking, yet the implementation of this feature has been inconsistent since it is left up to the developer. The matchmaking service on Resistance: FOM, meanwhile, has been one of its biggest successes, proving that even at this early stage the PS3’s online capabilities are very competitive. And free. As the PS3 community continues to grow with new features and player-generated content from Home and Little Big Planet, Sony’s online service is looking better and better. And, again, they’re not charging you $270 for it.

3. 50 GB games
If you ever hear someone say “Blu-Ray isn’t needed for this generation,” rest assured they don’t make games for a living. At Insomniac, we were filling up DVDs on the PS2, as were most of the developers in the industry. We compressed the level data, we compressed the mpeg movies, we compressed the audio, and it was still a struggle to get it to fit in 6 gigs. Now we’ve got 16 times as much system RAM, so the level data is 16 times bigger. And the average disc space of games only gets bigger over a console’s lifespan. As games get bigger, more advanced and more complex, they necessarily take up more space. If developers were filling up DVDs last generation, there are clearly going to be some sacrifices made to fit current generation games in the same amount of space.

Granted, some really great Xbox 360 games have squeezed onto a DVD9. Gears of War is a beautiful game and shows off the highest resolution textures of anything yet released, partly because of the Unreal Engine’s ability to stream textures. This means that you can have much higher resolution textures than you could normally fit in your 512 MB of RAM. It also means that you’re going to chew up more disc space for each level. With streamed textures, streamed geometry and streamed audio, even with compression, you can quickly approach 1 GB of data per level. That inherently limits you to a maximum of about 7 levels, and that’s without multiplayer levels or mpeg cutscenes.

Sometimes people ask us, “If Resistance takes 14 gigabytes, why doesn’t it look better than Gears?” Well, for one, Resistance didn’t support texture streaming, so we had to make choices about where we spent our high-res textures. Resistance also had 30 single-player chapters, six multiplayer maps, uncompressed audio streaming, and high-definition mpegs. That all added up to a lot of space on the disc. Starting with Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction we are supporting texture streaming, which will make the worlds look even better, and will also consume even more space on disc.

There’s no question that you can always cut more levels, compress the audio more, compress the textures more, down-res the mpeg movies, and eventually get any game to fit on a DVD. But you paid for a high-def experience, right? You want the highest resolution, best audio, most cinematic experience a developer can offer, right? That’s why Blu-Ray is important for games, and why it will become more important each year of this hardware cycle.

4. Casino Royale
Casino Royale is the first high definition title to crack the top 10 on Amazon’s DVD charts, rising up to number seven shortly after being released. This is significant because it dispels the myth that high definition discs are merely a niche and will never take off with the mainstream.

A lot of people have been waiting on the fence to see whether Blu-Ray or HD-DVD would emerge as the winner of the format war. Well, at this point the war is as good as over. Blu-Ray has won a TKO. It always had superior technical specs and much wider studio support, but there was the question of whether HD-DVD’s earlier release and initially lower price would capture enough of the market to make it the winner. But Blu-Ray has already surpassed HD-DVD in overall discs sold, and is currently outselling HD-DVD discs at about a 3:1 rate. Many neutral observers in the A/V community have called the war in favor of Blu-Ray. If you want minute-to-minute updates, you can follow what’s left of the format war at various locations on the internet:
http://www.eproductwars.com/dvd/
http://www.hdgamedb.com/amazon/versus.aspx
These sites mainly compare Amazon sales data, but the Nielsen sales data shows the same thing: Blu-Ray discs are outselling HD-DVD by a steadily increasing margin.

Many of Disney, Fox and Sony’s biggest box office movies will release exclusively on Blu-Ray in the next three months, likely pushing the sales separation between Blu-Ray and HD-DVD to a margin where many retailers will begin phasing out HD-DVD. Retailers hate a format war even more than consumers, and I suspect they’ll take the initiative to end it as quickly as possible.

5. HDMI
A lot has been said about Sony’s choice to ship with composite cables. I won’t say I agree with that decision, but I think too little has been said of the fact that even the cheaper PS3 SKU supports HDMI 1.3. The PS3 was the first consumer device to support it, and this is a very important future-proofing step. When you go to buy higher-end TVs, the PS3 will support the highest possible audio and video input the TV and receiver can accept. If and when high-def movies start requiring an Image Constraint Token, the PS3 will still be able play them in high definition.

Right now, HDMI seems primarily to be a selling point to the hardcore audio and videophiles of the world. But HDTVs are getting cheaper and more popular all the time, and consumer sophistication and knowledge of high definition audio and video is growing. In a couple years, HDMI devices will be the standard. Graphics and audio in games will also continue to improve, and more and more consumers will want HDMI in order to get the best results on their home theater setups. As this happens, Microsoft has a difficult choice – do they stick with “last gen” video output, or do they release a premium version of the Xbox 360 that includes HDMI but effectively forces early adopters to re-buy the system to get the best results? Sony ultimately made their console more expensive by including HDMI, but over the next couple years it’s likely to play out as the right choice.

6. Standard HDD
When we were developing for PS2, I was jealous of Xbox’s standard hard drive. There are so many things this allowed you to consider as a developer – virtually unlimited save data, improved load times, custom music, downloadable content and user-created content just to name a few. But since hard drives, no matter what the size, never get cheaper than about $50, Microsoft lost money trying to compete with the PS2’s price. That may be the reason they left it out of the cheaper Xbox 360 SKU, thinking that Sony would again leave out the hard drive on the PS3. Instead, Sony made the hard drive standard for both SKUs. This added to the cost of the PS3, but it also let developers use the HDD in games.

The problem with including a hard drive in one version of the 360 and not in the other is that developers can’t use it for the games. Or, at least, they can’t use it for any required features. When you are guaranteed to have at least a 20 GB hard drive in the console, you can write your load caching routines around it, or use it for your application’s storage needs. To a developer, an optional hard drive is roughly equivalent to no hard drive at all.

Another advantage of the PS3 is that it will let you put in any third party hard drive you want. From a developer’s standpoint, this is good news because the market will gradually be able to support larger downloadable games over the course of the PS3’s life. As downloadable content gets larger and more sophisticated, PS3 owners can choose to buy larger hard drives at the best market price. The more this happens, the more developers will be encouraged to create better and better downloadable games.

7. The Wii Fad Will Fade
OK, this one’s going to be controversial, but I have to say it. I like Nintendo a lot. I think Nintendo has innovated far more than any other company in the industry. And I think the Wii is really, really fun. But… let me relate to you a story that may sound familiar:

Your friend Reggie invites you over for a Wii Party. It’s awesome. You and your friends partake in whatever beverages are legally appropriate for your age group. The next day everyone who went to the party rushes out and buys a Wii.

A week later Reggie hosts another Wii Party. This time only half the group comes. It’s still fun, but there isn’t quite as much shoving to get at the Wiimote.

The next week Reggie hosts another Wii Party. You tell him you have bird flu.

Obviously I’m exaggerating, but the Wii does have many characteristics of popular mainstream fads. It’s instantaneously accessible, it’s unlike anything you’ve tried before, and it’s great fun to share with friends. In short, it’s everything Nintendo said it would be and it has captured the world’s imagination. The only downside is that the world is easily distracted. Tickle Me Elmo captured the world’s attention at one point, as did Furbies. They were both instantly accessible, were unlike anything people had seen before, and were fun to share with friends. But a year later, after everyone had seen them and tried them out, their popularity waned.

The Wii is currently riding on a massive wave of mainstream attention and has been purchased by lots of people who don’t normally play games. But how many of those people who are hooked on Wii Sports will also buy Wii Need For Speed? Mainstream fads usually run their course within a year. As the honeymoon period fades, the Wii will be going up against more and more graphically impressive games on the PS3 and Xbox 360. More people will be buying HD televisions and looking for the most immersive and stunning experiences available. For these reasons, I think the Wii will be more successful than the GameCube or N64 but in the long run will still be outsold by the PS3.

8. PS3 Has a Major CPU Advantage
The GPUs on the Xbox 360 and PS3 are roughly equivalent, with the Xbox 360 arguably having a slight edge. The difference in CPU power, however, is far greater with the PS3 enjoying the advantage. The PS3’s eight parallel CPUs (one primary “PPU” and seven Cell processors) give it potentially far more computing power than the three parallel CPUs in the Xbox 360. Just about any tech programmer will tell you that the PS3’s CPUs are significantly more powerful. The problem is that it has been challenging thus far to take advantage of the Cell’s parallel architecture.

With the PS2, Sony got away with making a fairly developer-unfriendly system, and its success allowed their hardware designers to ignore developer’s complaints as they made the PS3. People high up at Sony have realized that approach simply won’t work anymore and are trying to fix the problem. Sony is actively improving their libraries, tools and developer support in order to make PS3 development easier. They are giving first party developed techniques and code to third-party developers so that multi-platform games should start looking better on PS3.

Games developed from the ground up on PS3 are the ones that will really show off the PS3’s CPU advantage. The complexity of the distributed processing architecture means that PS3 engines won’t fully blossom until a little later in the lifecycle than the PS2. This has put the PS3 at a disadvantage early in its lifecycle, but within two years you will see games that surpass what is possible on the Xbox 360.

9. PS2 still outselling 360
I know, it’s outselling the PS3 by an even larger margin. But the continued strong PS2 sales really are a good thing for Sony. Anyone buying a PS2 at this point is probably not going to buy a PS3 or Xbox 360 in the next year. And when they do choose to buy the current generation of hardware, the PS3 will be in a lot better position. The price will have come down, the game library will be broad, and the top PS3 titles will probably have the edge in both graphics and sound. Just as important, the people buying into the PS2 now will be getting into many of Sony’s exclusive franchises that they will then later want to play on the PS3.

10. Something For Everyone
One of Sony’s biggest advantages is that it has strong franchises in every genre. Whereas Microsoft’s successful titles are mostly M-rated, and Nintendo’s are mostly E-rated, Sony has a big list of hit titles across the spectrum. When a 30-something gamer (like me) goes to buy a game console, it’s a lot easier to justify the purchase when there are games he can play with his kids as well as more mature stuff.

To Microsoft’s credit, they are doing a good job of catching up. The acquisition of Rare and the development of Viva Pinata have helped to broaden their spectrum. But it takes time to build a franchise, and Sony has been building their suite of titles for over a decade. Consider the breadth, success and critical acclaim of some of their exclusive properties: The Getaway, God of War, Gran Turismo, Hot Shots Golf, Jak and Daxter, Killzone, Ratchet & Clank, Shadow of the Colossus, Singstar, Sly Cooper, SOCOM, and Twisted Metal. These are all million-plus sellers worldwide that are either already announced or likely to appear on PS3. Add to this Sony’s new line up of first-party titles, including Heavenly Sword, Lair, Motorstorm, Resistance: Fall of Man, Uncharted and White Knight Story, and they have an even deeper and stronger line-up than what they had on PS2.

A lot of industry watchers and even a handful of publishers have been quick to write Sony off this generation, and I think that’s near-sighted. Sony has made a lot of decisions with the PS3 that may have slowed them down in the short run, but should give them a big advantage in the long run. The high price, hardware complexity, and the uncertainty of the Blu-Ray/HD-DVD format war have contributed to the PS3’s slow start out of the gate. But as the price drops, developers master the hardware, and Blu-Ray becomes the new DVD standard, Sony’s early disadvantages turn to advantages. As downloadable games become more common, the 60 GB hard-drive will be a big advantage to developers and consumers. As games get bigger and more sophisticated, Blu-Ray storage will increasingly become a major advantage. And as more and more of Sony’s exclusive first-party titles get released, the PS3 will begin to outsell the competition on a monthly basis. Those publishers who have shifted resources away from PS3 development will find themselves behind the curve and losing money as the market center gradually shifts toward the PS3 over the next two years.

I’m sure many of you may have comments about my point of view. If you do, please email blog@insomniacgames.com and I’ll do my best to respond. Also, I’ll be visiting the various forums to see what people think, including our own at www.insomniacgames.com (click on the community tab). Hope to see you there.

RTE News: Updated 'Rules of the Road' for every home

2007-03-21T16:47:00.000Z

RT� News: Updated 'Rules of the Road' for every home

A copy of the updated Rules of the Road, which is being published today, is to be sent to every home in the country free of charge.

The new edition of the book, which has been expanded from 68 pages to 288 pages, includes new sections on road rage, the penalty point system and metric speed limits.

The rules will be published in English and Irish while there are plans to also make them available in Polish, Mandarin Chinese and Russian.
Advertisement

It is the first update of the rule book since 1995.

Last October the Department of Transport sent a revised version to the Road Safety Authority for redesign and printing following a public consultation period launched earlier in the year.

The Chairperson of the Road Safety Authority, Gay Byrne has said the message to people not to drink and drive has not yet registered with motorists.

Commenting at the launch of the booklet, Mr Byrne said the attitude that gardai and the RSA are trying to spoil people's fun in rural Ireland will have to go.

He added that the realisation that people will be caught will eventually sink in."

And they're off...

2007-03-13T14:02:00.000Z

The Cheltenham Festival started today, and it is obviously a VERY busy day for the folks over at paddypower.com! I wonder could I sue, if the horse I had picked wins but I couldnt get to place my bet?

Friend-Boarding

2007-03-07T11:59:00.000Z

Is that the new thing now is it? Friendboarding?

Remote Record now available on Sky.com

2007-03-06T11:41:00.000Z

Click on the link below and you will be brought to the sky.com tv listings. Once you (and your sky+ box) are registered you will be able to set your sky+ box to record any program listed in the tv listings displayed.

The remote record can also be accessed by sending a text message to 53759. Use the following format in your text message

Program.Channel.Time.Date

Also you can download a java application onto your mobile phone and view the listings on your phone and then select a program to record.

The best thing about usiong the sky.com Remote Record is that its FREE

Confessions of a Film Critic

2007-03-05T12:33:00.000Z

I finally remembered to have a look at John Maguire's blog "Confessions of a Movie Critic". After listening to him on Ian Dempsey's Breakfast Show on todayfm for years I finally managed to have a look at his blog. And if you follow the link below, you can do the same!

Linky: Confessions of a Film Critic

Serious Road Accident this morning in Cork

2007-03-05T11:29:00.000Z

There was a serious fatal road traffic accident in County Cork this morning, involving 1 lorry and 2 cars. The accident happened at an area know as "Casey's Cross", just west of Ballincollig on the N22 Macroom/Kerry road. The driver of one of the cars, who is believed to be in her early 20s, has not yet been named. The driver of the truck was taken to Cork University Hospital with minor injuries.

There was a lot of traffic disruption as the road was closed in both directions and diversions onto the smaller local roads were put in place. The picture above shows just before where the accident took place, and traffic can be seen following the diversion. Eerily there is no traffic coming towards the scene as westbound traffic was diverted at the last junction on the Ballincollig bypass.

Last 3 episodes of 'Jericho'

2007-03-04T14:14:00.000Z

View Jericho Episode 13: Black Jack on innertube now

View Jericho Episode 12: The Day Before on innertube now

View Jericho Episode 11: Vox Populi on innertube now

Does anyone know if there has been another series commisioned?

Galway Utd try to emulate Liverpool FC

2007-03-01T15:49:00.000Z

United silent over claims that Cousins took hurley to entire first team squad
GalwayFirst.ie - Thursday, 01 March 2007

Graphical Google logos in Google Adsense Adverts

2007-02-28T11:50:00.000Z

The headline is almost a bit of a mouthful, but you can see in the image to the right that Google have replaced the standard "Ads by Google" tagline from the bottom of the placed advert.

It doesn't look too bad in the example from my website Coolgarriv.com but I can understand why some people are up in arms about the lack of "blending" of the logo into the rest of the ad/site.

Come on Google, can ye come up with a better solution?

Apple TV delayed until mid-March

2007-02-27T14:32:00.000Z

According to Reuters (linky) Apple will not be releasing Apple tv until mid-March.

In the meantime here is a gallery of pictures of the afore-mentioned Apple tv, taken by engadget at Macworld 2007 to tide you over until then.

Channels row threat to Bskyb profits

2007-02-26T13:27:00.000Z

BSkyB warned today of a possible £20 million hit to profits if a row with Virgin Media leads to its basic channels being pulled from the cable network.

Virgin Media's contract to air Sky One, Two, Sky News and Sky Sports News ends at midnight on Wednesday unless the two sides can agree on a renewal price.

Bskyb said today that it hoped a deal could still be done but admitted Virgin Media appeared to have "walked away" from talks.

It estimated that, if an agreement was not reached in the remainder of its financial year to June 30th, it could see a reduction of between £15 million and £20 million in operating profits.

Virgin Media, rebranded from NTL earlier this month, claimed on Friday that Sky had tried to deliberately sabotage the negotiations by doubling the price of its channels.

Chief executive Steve Burch called Sky's behaviour "heavy handed and anti-competitive".

Linky: ireland.com - Breaking News - Mon, Feb 26, 2007 - Channels row threat to Bskyb profits

Apple iPhone TV Ad

2007-02-26T11:13:00.000Z

Here is the apple iPhone tv add that was broadcast during the Oscars in the states:

Hypocrit Protester

2007-02-26T10:59:00.000Z

A protestor at Saturday's rugby match in Croke Park provides a handy visual representation of his intelligence.

Blogorrah

Brokeback Man Utd

2007-02-22T17:23:00.000Z

This is footage from the infamous Dunphy rant in the wake of Roy Keane's departure from Man U. To any Brits watching, this is the kind of stuff you'll never ever see on MOTD or Sky. Pure Irish mayhem. Enjoy.

2007-02-22T17:06:00.001Z

Technorati Profile

Wii-diculous: Playing the Wii in a Cinema

2007-02-22T09:41:00.000Z

These guys hooked up a Nintendo Wii to the projector in a cinema. The ultimate in widescreen gaming.

RTÉ Free To Air transmission Petition

2007-02-16T11:18:00.000Z

RTÉ Free To Air transmission Petition

Google Spell Googe

2007-02-15T16:56:00.000Z

Looks like the folks in Google should start working on a new application called "Google Spell", unless of course they are changing their name to "Googe"

:-)
Linky
Googe

FAI page on Wikipedia

2007-02-15T11:20:00.000Z

This is an actual screenshot of the FAI page on Wikipedia. Just goes to show how angry some people are about the state of football in Ireland and the farcical results that we have "achieved" since the appointment of Stan "The Gaffer" Staunton.

Humvee Drivining in Iraq

2007-02-15T11:15:00.000Z

Coalition lead cut as PD vote collapses

2007-02-02T09:35:00.000Z

Greens emerge as powerbrokers in neck-and-neck election race

THE general election race has turned into a cliffhanger.

The Rainbow coalition now has victory almost within its grasp, according to a new opinion poll.

The PDs are in danger of total wipeout and the Greens have emerged as the powerbrokers of the next Dail.

Fianna Fail support has plunged three points with the highly volatile electorate, reversing New Year poll trends for each of the last three years.

The PD collapse will renew speculation that Taoiseach Bertie Ahern will have to woo Labour if he wants to get back into power.

Labour and Fine Gael, meanwhile, have held steady but are in a better position because the Government parties have dropped a sizeable five points.

There is little between the current Coalition and the so-called alternative line-up with polling day just a few months away.

Crucially, however, neither option is doing well enough to govern with just two parties.

The Greens are the big winners as support for Trevor Sargent's party doubled in just two months.

Sinn Fein's support is also up, following its historic decision to back the police in the North. Tanaiste Michael McDowell is the major loser - his party support has flatlined to a record low of just 1pc.

That prompted quips last night that their vote could now be referred to as 'the Progressive Democrat'.

This 1pc is the lowest support rating of all time for the PDs in this type of poll and, if translated into real voting trends would decimate its Dail numbers.

FF and the PDs are now on a combined support base of just 38pc - just one point ahead of FG and Labour on 37pc. But when the Greens are added into the equation, the Rainbow coalition has an election winning tally of 45pc.

Although the Greens are not part of the Fine Gael-Labour alternative, the party has repeatedly said its preference is for a new government that does not include FF or the PDs.

On the basis of today's Irish Times TNS/mrbi poll, the current state of the parties is: Fianna Fail 37pc (down 3); Fine Gael 26pc (down 1); Labour 11pc (unchanged); Sinn Fein 9pc (up 2); Green Party 8pc (up 4); PDs 1pc (down 2) and Independents 8pc (unchanged).

With support for both FF and the PDs down, the coalition's combined support is now 38pc - not enough to return them to office.

The combined support for Fine Gael, Labour and the Greens is 45pc, a clear lead but still short of the commanding 48pc that they held last May.

The Government parties failed to get any bounce from a giveaway Budget, with its tax cuts and welfare increases, or the glossy launch of the €184bn National Development Plan.

The momentum built up by Fianna Fail in the wake of the controversy over the Taoiseach's payments is now gone.

In the past three years, Fianna Fail's support went up by exactly three points in first polls of new years.

Linky: Coalition lead cut as PD vote collapses - Irish Independent

McDonald's Beats Starbucks In Coffee Taste Test

2007-01-31T15:14:00.000Z

McDonald's Beats Starbucks In Coffee Taste Test

(CBS 5) They may be unlikely competitors, but McDonald's is giving Starbucks a run for its money when it comes to coffee.

According to a report published in Consumer Reports magazine, McDonald's serves up a better cup of joe than the mega coffee chain.

Testers compared a medium cup of black coffee from McDonald's, Burger King, Dunkin' Donuts and Starbucks. They found the best cup of java under the golden arches.

The magazine said McDonald's coffee was 'decent and moderately strong' while the coffee from Starbucks 'was strong, but burnt.'

Linky: McDonald's Beats Starbucks In Coffee Taste Test(cbs5):

Who keeps an eye on the bad guys?

2007-01-26T11:56:00.000Z

Snackbox Diaries is delighted to present a WORLD EXCLUSIVE: A rare insight into the life of a modern day crimefighter.

A crimefighter by the name of Paul Williams.

Who keeps an eye on the bad guys? He does, stupid.

KEY EXTRACT FROM PAUL'S DIARY, DATED MONDAY, JANUARY 22
Read more...

Political Photo Opportunity

2007-01-26T10:41:00.000Z

Minister for Justice caught off guard by photographer. I think this was originally published in The Star.

Daily Show: State of the Union Roundup

2007-01-26T10:32:00.000Z

DevilDucky - Daily Show: State of the Union Roundup.
A clip from the Daily Show, with its usual satirical take on George Dubbya Bush

Dail30

2007-01-24T16:22:00.000Z

Dail30: "Dail30 is an attempt to podcast interviews with every single member of the 30th incarnation of Dail Eireann, due to be assembled later this year.

The objective is to acquaint people with, and make them more aware of, the politicians that are making important decisions on the country’s behalf every day.

By asking questions about their background, their ideals and their thoughts on the challenges facing Ireland, the series will hopefully act as an introduction and guide to the 166 women and men we call TDs, as well as the system they operate in.

Besides this, given that the next Dail will be the somewhat significant 30th incarnation of the Irish parliament (and one which will likely sit for the 90th anniversary of the 1th Dail of 1918/9) the series will also hopefully act as a snapshot of Irish politics in the modern world."

House: A parliamentary visualisation of Dail Eireann

2007-01-24T11:28:00.000Z

House: A parliamentary visualisation of Dail Eireann - talideon.com

Taoiseach lauds €184 billion spending plan

2007-01-23T17:26:00.000Z

ireland.com - Breaking News - Tue, Jan 23, 2007 - Taoiseach lauds €184 billion spending plan

Full text of article:

Taoiseach lauds €184 billion spending plan

Paul Anderson

A social and affordable housing programme costing on average nearly €275,000 per home over the next seven years forms part of the Government's much-leaked National Development Plan NDP formally announced today.

A total of €184 billion has been allocated under the Transforming Ireland - A Better Quality of Life for All , which will see €21 billion spent on 77,000 homes and
Over €50 billion will be spent on infrastructure
Over €50 billion will be spent on infrastructure

€34 billion allocated to transport as part of a planned €54.66 billion infrastructure investment.

Some €50 billion has been earmarked for social-inclusion measures aimed particularly at the elderly, immigrants, Travellers and the area of skills development.

Over €8.5 billion is to be spend on investment in energy as the Government attempts to reach one of its most immediate targets of 15 per cent of electricity generation coming from renewable resources by 2010.

A separate allocation of over €8 billion to modernise the agriculture sector - including the food industry - will feed into this target.

The Taoiseach has long been an advocate of the EU's Lisbon Agenda, which aims to create a "knowledge economy" within member states, and today investment of over €20 billion was unveiled under the heading "enterprise, science, innovation".

Speaking this afternoon, Mr Ahern said the NDP, which runs until the end of 2013, would "set important foundations for the next phase of our country's development".

"Today, we are launching a plan involving some €184 billion - a scale of investment for the next seven years that is without precedent.

"But . . . this investment is also essential to help us meet emerging challenges. We will continue to build on the substantial progress we are making in delivering a quality of physical infrastructure that is appropriate to our evolving 21st-century needs," Mr Ahern said.

He said public transport in Dublin would expand as would the road and rail networks along the Western seaboard.

"This new National Development Plan will also see a new deployment of resources in supporting the productive capacity of our enterprise sector, equipping it to compete effectively in an increasingly knowledge-intensive and interconnected global economy.

"At a point in our national development where future prosperity has never been more dependent on unlocking the talents of each and every citizen, we are reinforcing the emphasis on skills and training to ensure adaptability to the accelerated change we face," the Taoiseach said.

Much of the spending targets had already been announced, however, and concern was recently expressed the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) that such large-scale spending could drive inflation and overheat the economy.

Mr Ahern appeared to acknowledged ESRI's concern in his speech and said the management of the plan would be subject to enhanced "value-for-money" frameworks now in place.

The heavily leaked plan has already drawn criticism for not being integrated, but Mr Ahern insisted the new NDP recognised the interdependence of economic and social aims as well as interdepartmental co-operation.

He emphasised that almost half of the overall allocation was to be social spending, including investment in areas of health such as hospitals; primary care and community healthcare.

There would also be large-scale investment in services for people with disabilities, and sports and cultural facilities, he said. Childcare and education - including education for children with disabilities - is to receive funding from various allocations, including some €5 billion for capital spending on schools and €13 billion for third-level facilities.

Mr Ahern also heralded the inclusion of spending on North/South projects - which will include social programmes as well commercial activities.

The Hush � Google Competes With Apple iPhone??

2007-01-22T11:22:00.000Z

The Hush � Google Competes With Apple iPhone??: "Google Competes With Apple iPhone??

January 22nd, 2007

With the recent announcement of the iPhone by Apple, we were amazed to hear that Google might be going down the same road.

It seems like a partnership between Google and Samsung could make this phone actually happen. Google has always been known to innovate and with applications such as Google Maps, GMail, GTalk and their payment service, this could open up a nice phone with a nice set of features. Having GPS, email, navigation, VoIP services, MP3 and Video all on a single portable device is the way things need to go and no doubt they are heading that way now. With Googles innovation we can see this phone doing well should it actually arrive.

If only the iPhone had GPS, it might be able to stand up to the competition."

Clinton’s Announcement Makes Waves in ’08 Field

2007-01-22T10:56:00.000Z

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton’s entry into the 2008 presidential contest this morning set off rounds of e-mail and conference calls among both her allies and opponents, some of whom were shaking their heads that a major political event was happening at 9:30 on a Saturday morning.

read more

The violent changes to our climate won't be all great gas

2007-01-19T15:45:00.000Z

Model of "warmed earth"

Open University’s climateprediction.net project model, developed for the BBC, shows Ireland and Britain basking in a Mediterranean climate but highlights the threat of floods, storm surges and heatwaves.

If this is the outcome of global warming, then bring it on. Time to go home and burn some fossil fuels :-)

Trader on Ebay jailed

2007-01-19T10:20:00.000Z

Trader on Ebay jailed - Irish Independent:

A 37-YEAR-OLD man has been jailed six months for claiming thousands of pounds in benefits while earning �100,000 through internet auction site eBay.

Barry McNaughton, of Havant Road, Portsmouth, Hampshire, pleaded guilty at Portsmouth Crown Court to two charges of failing to notify the Department for Work and Pensions that he was running a business.

He was also ordered to pay back �16,750 for the income support, housing benefit and council tax benefit he had falsely claimed.

He made a profit of more than �100,000, and when police raided his home they found it full of luxury items, including six bottles of champagne under his bed.

His kitchen was fitted with Smeg appliances, his lounge had a new plasma flat-screen television and officers also found two Rolex watches worth a total of �10,000 as well as a Tag Heuer watch.

Investigations also revealed that McNaughton had travelled to Kent to visit markets to purchase goods to sell online.

The spokeswoman said McNaughton mostly traded in small electrical items as well as DVDs, CDs, computer memory sticks and, on one occasion, a car.

At a separate hearing, McNaughton was sentenced to an 80-hour community service order.

Woman dies holding a wee to win a Wii

2007-01-18T16:52:00.000Z

A mother of three died from water intoxication after a radio station drinking competition, a California coroner said on Saturday. Jennifer Strange, 28, competed in Sacramento station KDND 107.9’s “Hold Your Wee for a Wii” contest to try to win Nintendo’s console for her children.

Contestants were handed half-pint bottles of water to drink every 15 minutes for the first hour, and then larger bottles to up the ante.

from tcal.net

Siputd Uvsnierity Recearsh

2007-01-18T16:33:00.000Z

I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdgnieg.
The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid aoccdrnig to rscheearch at
Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a
wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be
in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed
it wouthit a porbelm Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey
lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

RTEGUIDE.com - Gunnin for ya

2007-01-18T15:32:00.000Z

RTEGUIDE.com - Gunnin for ya

Lucky to be alive

2007-01-18T15:24:00.000Z

According to today's regulators and bureaucrats, those of us who were kids in the 60's, 70's and early 80's probably shouldn't have survived, because our baby cots were covered with brightly coloured lead-based paint which was promptly chewed and licked.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, or latches on doors or cabinets and it was fine to play with pans. When we rode our bikes, we wore no helmets, just flip-flops and fluorescent 'spokey dokey's' on our wheels.

As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or airbags and riding in the passenger seat was a treat. We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle and it tasted the same.

We ate chips, bread and butter pudding and drank fizzy juice with sugar in it, but we were never overweight because we were always outside playing. We shared one drink with four friends, from one bottle or can and no-one actually died from this.

We would spend hours building go-carts out of scraps and then went top speed down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into stinging nettles a few times, we learned to solve the problem.

We would leave home in the morning and could play all day, as long as we were back before it got dark. No one was able to reach us and no one minded.

We did not have Play stations or X-Boxes, no video games at all. No 99 channels on TV, no videotape movies, no surround sound, no mobile phones, no personal computers, no DVDs, no Internet chatrooms.

We had friends - we went outside and found them. We played elastics and rounders, and sometimes that ball really hurt!

We fell out of trees, got cut and broke bones but there were no law suits.

We played knock-the-door-run-away and were actually afraid of the owners catching us. We walked to friends' homes. We also, believe it or not, WALKED to school; we didn't rely on mummy or daddy to drive us to school, which was just round the corner.

We made up games with sticks and tennis balls. We rode bikes in packs of 7 and wore our coats by only the hood. The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke a law was unheard of...they actually sided with the law.

iPhone & LG KE850: separated at birth? - Engadget

2007-01-18T12:53:00.000Z

iPhone & LG KE850: separated at birth? - Engadget

An Riocht - The Kingdom

2007-01-18T10:24:00.000Z

An Riocht - The Kingdom

Failte romhat go dti An Riocht

Free flights with Ryanair.com

2007-01-18T10:18:00.000Z

How to get your free flight

Step 1: Log on to http://www.ryanair.com/member/freeflights.html

Step 2: Enter 123456 as your six-digit confirmation

Step 3: Select "Book now"

Step 4: Book free flights, with no taxes or charges, to destinations throughout Europe.

The only clause is that travel must be before February 8.

Ryanair.com - FLY CHEAPER

Crooks and Liars � CNN apologizes to Barack Obama

2007-01-17T15:06:00.000Z

Crooks and Liars � CNN apologizes to Barack Obama

Wolf Blitzer apologized to Barack Obama for misspelling Osama's name on a graphic yesterday during a broadcast on The Situation Room.