Monday, December 22, 2008

Blogger turned author wins global cook book award

A Kerry-based blogger who runs an ice-cream shop in Dingle and Killarney, and whose blogging exploits led to a book deal, has just won the Gourmet Cook Book of the Year Award at the Gourmand World Cook Book Awards.
Kieran Murphy, director of Killarney and Dingle-based Murphy’s Ice Cream, started a blog that not only won the Best Business Blog at the 2008 Irish Blog Awards, but landed a book deal with Mercier Press for Murphy’s Ice Cream Book of Sweet Things, which is choc-full of new ice-cream and dessert recipes. Read More

Courtesy: Silicon Republic

First look: IGOpeople

Brand new Ireland-based social-networking site IGOpeople officially opened its shiny new beta doors to the public today, and straightaway you can throw out the comparisons to Bebo, Facebook or MySpace because it has a slightly different mission – to be a ‘network for the real world’.
So how exactly do you go about being a real-world network? Well, the IGO stands for individuals, groups and organisations, which each get their own category on the site, but can cross over. So if you join as an individual, you can also become part of special-interest groups where you share information with others, and you can also contact the official firms through the organisations part of the network...Read More

Courtesy: Silicon Republic

Major security flaw in Internet Explorer

Microsoft has warned users of Internet Explorer (IE) 7 that hackers have been attacking a vulnerability in the current version of the web browser that, in a worst-case scenario, could potentially lead to remote takeover of their computer – and the threat is rising rapidly.
Basically, a vulnerability in the browser has left it, according to Microsoft, ‘exploitable’, while the older IE 6 and Beta 2 version of IE 8 are also potentially vulnerable. On Microsoft’s Threat Research & Response blog, authors Ziv Mador and Tareq Saade said that “a significant number of users have been affected” by the vulnerability... Read More

Friday, December 19, 2008

Sheachtain na Gaeilge 08

Bhronn Leas-Mhéara Chomhairle Contae Átha Cliath Theas, Guss O’Connell, duaiseanna dhá chomórtas scoile, a seoladh le linn Sheachtain na Gaeilge 2008, Dé hAoine seo caite an 12 Nollag. Comórtas scríofa a bhí ann do dhaltaí Meánscoile agus comórtas póstaeir do dhaltaí Bunscoile, an dhá cheann faoi stair meánaoiseach an chontae/na tíre. Bhuaigh Dominic Berkeley ó Scoil Ospidéal an Rí, Baile Phámar, an chéad duais do dhaltaí Meánscoile agus bhuaigh Shane Dolan, ó Scoil Shantáin, Tamhlacht, an chéad duais do dhaltaí Bunscoile. Luach €1000 de bhogearraí nó crua-earraí don scoil a bhuaigh an bheirt acu. Chuir an Tionscnamh Nascadh, de chuid Comhairle Contae Átha Cliath Theas na duaiseanna ar fáil do na scoileanna. Read More


Courtesy: Oifigeach Gaeilge Cúnta Comhairle Contae Bhaile Átha Cliath Theas

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Cyber Scams At All-Time High

Cyber criminals are targeting online consumers amid a growing climate of fear and anxiety due to the credit crunch, new research shows.
The findings, in McAfee's Virtual Criminology report, also suggest the Government is not doing enough to fight cyber crime.
Professor Lilian Edwards, one of the report's authors, told Sky News Online that consumers are "very vulnerable".
An internet law expert at the University of Sheffield, she explained confusion over banking and credit arrangements has made unsuspecting shoppers a ripe target. Read More

Courtesy: Sky News

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Conference seeks to end European digital divide

Minister for the Information Society, Seán Power, has met with counterparts from other EU nations at an e-inclusion Conference in Vienna.
The purpose of the conference was to report on the progress being made towards reaching the Information Society Declaration signed at Riga in 2006 and to share ideas and information for the development of an e-inclusive society across Europe.
E-inclusion is the use of technology to ensure that no one in society, regardless of demographics, age or skill set is excluded from the benefits information and communication technology has to offer.To this end, a number of issues were examined at the conference including accessibility, information society and older people, digital literacy for life, investment in e-inclusion and next generation broadband. Read More

Courtesy: RTE

Tallaght Christmas Sparkle


From the 13th December, Tallaght will sparkle with a spectacular projection of local children’s images on the walls of the County Library daily from 4.30pm and a Magical Carousel running until Wednesday 24th December in Library Square
Workshops take place in the new County Library Tallaght on all things Christmas from making angels to flower arranging.
Click here for more information.

http://www.sdublincoco.ie/images/corporate/a5%20%20flyer%20(4)03122008.pdf

Irish firms are suckers for cybercrime and punishment

One in four Irish organisations were victims of external hacking attempts last year, a new survey shows.
One in four Irish organisations were victims of external hacking attempts last year, a new survey shows.
The findings show cybercrime is a serious problem for many Irish businesses, according to Owen O’Connor, vice-president of the Information Systems Security Association (ISSA) and author of the survey.
The second Irish Cybercrime Survey was conducted jointly by the ISSA’s Irish chapter and University College Dublin’s Centre for Cybercrime Investigation, and gathered information based on data for 2007.
Three out of 10 companies suffered denial of service (DoS) attacks last year, and 25pc said their systems or networks had an unauthorised intrusion by an external party. O’Connor says this is an alarming statistic. Read More

Courtesy: Silicon Republic

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Future media moguls can now monetise their own TV and video content

A Limerick-headquartered technology firm that allows users to create their own TV channels has developed a new advertising programme that will turn these users into future media moguls.
WorldTV, which has over 750,000 users in 190 countries, is a next-generation online video service that lets users create full-screen, TV-like channels online.
A user can integrate webcam footage, live mobile phone video and favoured clips from online video sites. A web-based editor allows the channel owner to organise their video content and publish it on blogs, websites and social networks.
The new system introduces advertisements alongside the channels and enables the channel owner to share in 50pc of the advertising revenue the channel generates. Read More

Courtesy: Silicon Republic

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Entrepreneur cracks micro-payments for an enlightened age of giving

Micro-philanthropy could give real meaning to ‘social’ networking revolution.
In the next few weeks, CEOs of Irish businesses will receive a little card that will enable them to donate €5 to any cause of their choice, locally and globally. What they don’t realise just yet is this colourful little card could open a whole new dimension in terms of social networking, micro-philanthropy and empathy marketing, but also enabling that instant online payments of all sizes get to the charities and non-profits that need them most.
On a cold Friday night in Dublin, one of Ireland’s most accomplished tech entrepreneurs, Peter Conlon, surveys boxes of these cards piled in the corner of his office. He expresses his conviction that he has embarked on his most important start-up yet – one that has some of the world’s biggest brands and household names in technology taking note.
His social-networking site Ammado.com aims to harness the energy that the social-networking revolution – currently dominated by players Facebook, Bebo and MySpace – has brought about, and channel that energy into good causes worldwide. Read More

Courtesy: Silicon Republic

Green energy – how electricity 2.0 will be bigger than Web 2.0

As the ghost of the Celtic tiger haunts half-filled housing estates in mid-west towns, it’s time for forward thinkers to embrace Ireland’s future economic edge: green energy.
You could be forgiven for thinking that the technology industry today is all about smart phones and Web 2.0. But the smartest minds in Silicon Valley have their eyes and wallets on a bigger prize, and it’s a century-old resource called electricity.
Tech firms from Google to Microsoft and IBM realise that smart energy usage from homes to cars that can manage their own use of electricity and fuel, and even sell surplus electricity back to the power companies, will bring about a technological revolution that could eclipse even the internet. Read More

Courtesy: Silicon Republic

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Official Lighting of the Christmas Tree, Civic Square, County Hall Tallaght

Official Lighting of the Christmas Tree, Civic Square, County Hall Tallaght 4pm-6pm Saturday 6th December.
Mayor Marie Corr on behalf of the Members of South Dublin County Council will officially switch on the Christmas lights in Civic Square, County Hall Tallaght on Saturday 6th December at 4pm. It is expected that this event will attract residents and families in the County and offer a little respite and fun in the run-up to the festive season. The theme selected by Mayor Marie Corr for this years ceremony is inclusiveness and is particularly aimed at children and the fun that is Christmas. Local choirs will perform carols and provide musical entertainment along with face painters, stilt walkers, story tellers and dancers. Light refreshments will be provided in the County Library and Santa will take some time from his very busy schedule to stop and say hello. Mayor Marie Corr said this event is aimed at bringing all members of the community together in the new civic space created by the recently extended County Library, the New County Arts Centre and Library Square and added I encourage people to take the opportunity to come along on the day with their families and friends and to be part of the fun and celebrations in South Dublin County.