Karaoke bars install 80 Microsoft Surfaces
We’ve been seeing Microsoft‘s innovative Surface multitouch table technologies for many years, at least on the web, but few of us have actually had an opportunity to play with one. Well, if you’re willing to book a flight to Hong Kong, you might be able to remedy that situation.A karaoke bar called Red Mr. in Hong Kong has just installed its own Surface… in fact, not just one Surface, but almost eighty, across all of their various chain outlets.The Surface, lest you have forgotten, is a 30-inch multitouch table top computer capable of measuring up to fifty two points of touch at once, which allows multiple people to interact with the table at once. It’s not a traditional multitouch set-up, though, since it uses five cameras underneath the table to measure where hands are… similar to the way the Kinect works, in fact. The Surface is an ideal gadget for groups: it’s design makes it perfect for the likes of board games (and Dungeons & Dragons). You’ve been able to see the Surface in the wild for a while now at places like AT&T stores and Disneyland, but Red Mr’s is the largest roll-out of the tech yet… all in the pursuit of karaoke. Is there anything badly singing over a song in a drunken environment can’t accomplish?Read more at Akihabara News
No wonder they’revaluing Groupon at $15 million. It’s hard to argue with a deal like this. At 57percent off, you’re definitely going to need a new pair of pants.Honestly, is there a better reason for undergoing major cosmetic surgery than finding a coupon in your inbox?
Most of us geeks have heard of Pi Day, a day celebrated yearly on March 14 (3/14) to honor the never-ending number. In fact, some math nerds took Pi and set it to music. This year’s Pi Day saw a fantastic YouTube video from musician Michael John Blake who set the numbers of Pi to music to create “The Sound of Pi.” Unfortunately, someone else had already set Pi to music, and Blake is now battling musician Lars Erickson who years ago created “Pi Symphony” and made Blake take down his YouTube video.Pi Day, however, is long behind us, and today we celebrate Tau Day. Tau is the number you get when you use a circle’s radius instead of its diameter when doing your calculating–as such the approximate value of Tau is 6.28, or twice Pi’s 3.14. Hence, today, June 28, is Tau Day, and Blake is back with a video entitled “What Tau Sounds Like.”AdChoices广告You can watch how it works in the video below, but basically you apply the numbers one through nine to all the notes in the major scale. Then, you apply the major, minor, and diminished chords that correspond to those notes. He built his musical interpretation of Tau to 126 decimal places at a tempo of 125.6 bpm, (6.28 multiplied by 20).The song is actually very beautiful. The video shows Blake playing the piano, guitar, a Schoenhut toy piano, a xylophone, a banjo, a violin, an accordion, a melodica, and some crazy 24-stringed instrument that I can’t identify (does anyone know what it is?). The video counts the numbers throughout, so you know what part of Tau he’s playing.It’s a pretty neat concept, and if Erickson decides he wants to play Blake’s version of Tau, it will be a full-on copyright war.via ExtremeTech
The tech world might be moving towards a post-PC era, but most of our wallets are stuck in the desktop age. And if you don’t absolutely need a sexy new laptop, there’s no reason to splurge when cheap desktops with the latest components are readily available.As for the Dell XPS 8300 desktop, this easy on the eyes and is made to upgrade. If the quad-core 3.4GHz Intel Core i7 CPU fails to impress, the 12GB DRAM (a lot of memory to include for no additional cost) and built-in Blu-ray make this deal worthwhile. The discrete 1GB Radeon 6670 graphics are good for above-average video and gaming demands, though you can opt for an even better offering. And it’s unlikely you’ll need more than 2TB of space on this massive hard drive, but if you do you can upgrade to your heart’s content. Gotta love desktops.It’s now a common practice for Dell to include an optical mouse and keyboard in their bundles (and only mentioning it in the tech specs, drawing no attention to it otherwise) but these peripherals are also included in this deal as well. Dell is throwing in Adobe Elements 9, which can’t do a lot in terms of editing, but it serves as good software for beginners looking to store and lightly manipulate photos.Visit this deal at LogicBuy.
The Instagram app is many ways a mobile imitation of old-school Polaroid instant cameras (you know, the ones that took real photos). The Instagram Socialmatic Camera brings these two worlds into an instant film camera that would integrate Instagram’s social sharing and photo-altering features.The integration of cameras into smartphones was a hard blow to the digital camera. Why buy a dedicated camera when there’s one integrated into your smartphone? Every year the quality increases enough to satisfy the mainstream consumer anyway. But also, apps like Instagram, and the ease of posting and sharing your files seamlessly on Twitter and Facebook keep users coming back to their integrated smartphone cameras. The Instagram Socialmatic Camera, though still very much a concept, offers something new; a hip, recognizable design with all the sharing features you care about.Creative company ADR imagines this instant camera would allow you to not only upload photos to Instagram and Facebook, but also physically print out a shot directly via a built-in ink-jet. This concept isn’t far from the available today Polaroids, like the Z340, it just has an iconic exterior that younger consumers would be drawn to and more features gauged toward that audience. The included paper would also have a post it adhesive, so you can quite literally post your photos and share them in the real world.If anyone were to invest in such a project and sell it, Instagram/Facebook could. But would such a niche product sell, or are the camera-toting days of everyday consumers gone? Would you consider purchasing this product if it made its way to store shelves, or would you stick to your Instagram app? Leave your comments below.ADR via CNet
Paper fibers as seen under a microscope using ultraviolet lightPaper is typically formed by using the moist fibers of cellulose pulp derived from wood. The end result when pressed together and dried is a sheet of white paper, or a range of different colors if you add some dye. However, if you want a transparent surface to scribble on or fold, you’d have to opt for a plastic alternative, but that looks set to change.Mitsubishi Chemical and Oji Holdings have been working together to create paper that is transparent, but formed from the same cellulose pulp used in the creation of regular paper. Impossible you say? Apparently not, as they’re claiming to have perfected the process.The key to transparent paper is the size of the cellulose fibers being used. Mitsubishi and Oji managed to create nanofibers that are just 1/20,000th the thickness of a human hair. When combined, they have all the properties of a piece of paper, but take the form of a transparent sheet.As it uses the same raw materials and processes as normal paper production, there’s nothing to stop it being mass produced in the same way. Everything depends on how easy it is to work with such thin fibers using existing paper manufacturing equipment.It’s going to be a while before transparent paper hits the market, though, as plans to commercialize it are targeting a 2016 or 2017 launch. After that, we’ll probably pay a hefty premium for it due to the novelty value alone, but it might be worth it for transparent origami. However, using both sides of the page for scribbles won’t really be an option.One further option these transparent paper sheets have: applications for electronic newspapers. Mitsubishi has hinted that it can alter the optical properties and create something akin to an E Ink display that’s capable of being updated, but remains foldable.
Google Reader is about to shut down (presumably for good), and the race is on to attract users that waited until the last minute to flee. Digg Reader already launched in beta, and now AOL’s ready to get in on the action.AOL Reader is currently in its beta phase, too, and it looks snazzy enough. The overall design is very similar to Google Reader, though it’s got a few more viewing options. You can toggle between a text list, a fully content view, an attractive “card” view that shows a feed’s header images and titles in a neat layout, and the Outlook-style pane view.AOL Reader’s card viewMost of what you’d want from a Google Reader alternative is there. AOL Reader makes subscribing to and discovering feeds easy enough, and it’ll import your existing Google Reader feeds — just make sure to log in with your Google account during the initial setup.You can’t organize your feeds into folders yet, though that may be in the works. That’s not a huge problem for users with only a handful of feeds, but if your subscriptions number in the hundreds (or even dozens) it makes things a bit messy.AOL Reader is also missing one other key piece of functionality that so far has escaped Google Reader clones: built-in search. AOL looks like it has search, but in the words of Admiral Ackbar “It’s a trap!” The box at the top of the window is actually tied to AOL’s web search. A query and a click gets you a new tab with results that might be relevant — but they certainly won’t be limited to your subscribed RSS feeds.Here’s a question worth asking yourself if you’re thinking of switching to AOL Reader. Do you really want to sign up for a service that’s run by AOL? This is, after all, the same company that just shut down Spinner — one of the most popular and respected music sites on the web and a solid pageview generator.If Google — who loves analytics more than any other company on the Internet — doesn’t feel like an RSS aggregator is a profitable enterprise, I’ve got serious doubts as to how long AOL will be willing to support its new Reader.
Dice general manager Karl Magnus has confirmed that the developer will be taking advantage of Kinect as part of the Battlefield 4 experience on Xbox One.Motion control in a FPS doesn’t make much sense when you need as much precision as possible while playing, and you’ll be glad to hear Dice agrees. Kinect will be used, but motion control won’t be a part of the core game as it “does not make sense.” To me that means two things: motion control won’t be used in the main game, but could still be an option for menu navigation etc. It also suggests the main focus of Kinect use in the core game will be for voice commands.Magnus didn’t give any details on exactly how Kinect will be used in the game, but chances are any motion control input will be optional for the player. It’s unlikely EA and Dice would mess with the FPS-formula too much for fear and angering fans. However, that didn’t stop EA and Maxis trying something different with SimCity and drawing the anger of most people who purchased the game.Battlefield 4 is set for release on October 29 across PC, Xbox 360, PS3, Xbox One, and PS4. The game looks great using the Frostbite 3 engines, and it will be a key title for comparing the performance of the Xbox One next to the PS4, and against current gen systems. With the possible upgrades the Xbox One hardware is thought to be receiving, hopefully the game will look great regardless of which next-gen platform you choose to purchase it for.
1 2 3 Apple’s iPhone press event has come and gone, which means we’ve got a few days to really think about all of the information that was thrown at us from the stage in Cupertino before the phones pop up on shelves around the world. Some will look upon the latest iPhone and its colorful new companion with grabby hands and eagerly open wallets, while others will look to either existing hardware or upcoming hardware releases and wield their thoroughly uneducated opinions on which phone is superior.The fact is, the iPhone 5S is here and it will be a screaming success compared to nearly every other phone on the market, regardless of whether or not it is a truly better phone. If we look past this month, beyond the entrenched tech bubble so intently focused on what comes next, how long could the iPhone 5S be relevant this go around?When I ask how long the phone will remain relevant, I’m referring specifically to how long the iPhone 5S will be the most appealing thing on the shelf for most people. This isn’t about buying a phone and getting bored with it after 6 months. Most people in the US who buy a phone still keep them for the term of their contract with whatever carrier they are stuck with.This isn’t universally true, especially with T-Mobile making all of the noise they have been making recently, but this fact accounts for a significant majority. For those people, the iPhone 5S will be relevant for right around two years, unless they break their phone and decide to buy another phone via third party or pay for the full price of an upgrade if they can’t get theirs repaired. What are the things that will draw new and repeat users to the iPhone 5S, and how long will those things matter? Those are the big questions I think are important to answer.The new and improved iSight cameraThis last year has been filled with writers all over the web explaining that the specs sheet is only important in the right context. The HTC One technically has a 4MP camera, but the reality is that Ultrapixel camera is one of the best experiences on an Android phone today.There has been a lot of interesting maneuvers made in smartphone cameras recently. Motorola’s Clear Pixel camera in the Moto X and Droid phones, Nokia’s 41MP Pureview camera in the Lumia 1020, and LG’s 13MP OIS camera are all trying to differentiate themselves in the only way that makes sense anymore. Many of these cameras, and their corresponding software, offer specific features that can’t be found on the iPhone 5. If you look at the combination of hardware and software in all of these devices, however, Apple’s iSight camera is still one of the best overall smartphone photography experiences.Apple’s new camera isn’t just an impressive boost in hardware, but it features a lot of new software that shows they have been paying attention to the enhancements offered by their competition. The hardware is significant in a way that no one else is really doing right now. The flash on most smartphone cameras is awful. Traditionally, it is the first thing I turn off on a smartphone unless I am specifically testing the flash for review. I’m not alone, lots of people disable the flash on their phones, because most of the time your photo is ruined with the flash on Auto.Apple’s new flash, with its ability to produce over 1,000 different combinations between the two units, will dramatically improve the usefulness of flash in many different environments. Perhaps the most useful environment will be low light situations. While HTC, Motorola, and Nokia are working on ways to take low light photos with special sensors, Apple implemented a smarter flash mechanism to make those problems go away without winding up with grainy and otherwise low quality photos.Apple’s software is going to play a big part in their smartphone camera dominance, but not because they are doing anything new. Apple is implementing burst shots algorithms to pick the best photo out of a batch, and the ability to capture 120fps 720p slow motion video, among other features. You can practically hear everyone who has owned any of the HTC phones released in the last year and a half roll their eyes, as these are features that have not only been implemented but fine tuned on the HTC One.Again, this isn’t about offering a single great feature or even a series of great features. This is about assembling the total package, which is why Apple started working these features into their software. More important than the features themselves is the implementation. These are features that require very little know how on iOS, and at least one fewer button presses to activate and enjoy on the iPhone 5S.Next page: Touch ID, M7 Motion processor, iOS 7, Siri, and iWork…
Share2 Tweet Email Short URL Friday 16 Feb 2018, 5:03 PM By Rónán Duffy The 5 at 5: Friday Five minutes, five stories, five o’clock… No Comments EVERY WEEKDAY EVENING, TheJournal.ie brings you the five biggest stories of the day.1. #IRELAND 2040: The government has launched an ambitious €116 billion national planning and capital expenditure plan up to 2040. Here are the main points.2. #IRELAND 2040: As part of the plan, the government is planning to double current housing output over the next 10 years.3. #JOANNE LEE : A murder investigation has been launched into the death of Joanne Lee, whose body was found in Ranelagh yesterday.4. #SCHOOL SHOOTING: Teenager Nikolas Cruz has confessed to gunning down 17 people at his former high school in Florida.5. #RUGBY RAPE TRIAL: One of the four men facing charges arising from the alleged rape of a woman in Paddy’s Jackson’s Belfast home told police she was “staring at and fixated on” the rugby player. http://jrnl.ie/3856330 7,584 Views Image: Shutterstock Feb 16th 2018, 5:03 PM Image: Shutterstock Tweet thisShare on FacebookEmail this article
Wednesday 28 Feb 2018, 7:58 AM By Paul Hosford EVERY MORNING, TheJournal.iebrings you the stories you need to know as you start your day.1. #BEAST FROM THE EAST: The Beast has arrived, bringing with it a red weather warning.2. #DISRUPTION: The weather is causing travel disruption around the country, with Luas, bus and air services particularly impacted.3. #ADVICE: Here is all of the advice for staying safe and warm during Storm Emma.4. #BREXIT: The draft legal text for the UK’s exit from the EU will be published today, with all eyes on Ireland.5. #CORK: A proposal has been made to name a new bridge in Cork after the “Irish Oskar Schindler”.6. #POETRY: A man has been jailed for stabbing his neighbour in a row over poetry.7. #SCHOOLS: Schools are closing across the country, but the Department of Education says it is a decision for each school to make itself.8. #TROLLEYS: A man who spent 30 hours on a trolley in a hospital has shared his story.9. #KUSHNER: Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner has lost his top-level security clearance according to reports in the US. Tweet thisShare on FacebookEmail this article 10,551 Views Share3 Tweet Email No Comments Image: Shutterstock/Seqoya Feb 28th 2018, 7:59 AM Image: Shutterstock/Seqoya http://jrnl.ie/3875883 Short URL The 9 at 9: Wednesday Here’s what you need to know under all that snow.
Mother and baby homes believed to give Irish women ‘every chance of keeping their secret’ A report into ‘destitute Irish girls’ investigated the problem of unmarried pregnant women travelling to England. By Christina Finn Tweet thisShare on FacebookEmail this article Mar 4th 2017, 10:00 PM Share167 Tweet6 Email4 33 Comments Short URL https://jrnl.ie/1563583 29,658 Views Image: Laura Hutton/Photocall Ireland Image: Laura Hutton/Photocall Ireland This article was first published on 14 July 2014. It is republished today following the discovery of a ‘significant number’ of human remains at one of these mother and baby homes – in Tuam, county Galway. A NUMBER OF National Archive documents that were recalled by the Department of Health some years ago paint a stark image of Ireland’s attitude towards unmarried mothers and their children in the past.A request was submitted by TheJournal.ie to see the documents after it was discovered that a number of files were missing from the archive and had not yet been returned following the State inquiry into child sex abuse in the 1990s.‘In trouble’Among the archives is a letter from the Board of Public Assistance in one county to the health minister in the 1940s to tell him about two women “in trouble” and to seek a directive.The letter stated that the pair had wanted to travel to England but that ”on inspection” it was discovered that one of the women was pregnant and refused travel to England on that basis.The letter says that the woman then threatened to “commit suicide” if they would not give her leave to go to England. She also refused to go back her home county.The letter also mentioned another pregnant woman who had already made her way to England but was returned to Ireland upon the discovery of her pregnancy.She also refused to go back to her home county.The board asked for the minister’s permission to place the girls in a Dublin “institution”.Under the law at the time, local authorities ran institutions or mother and baby homes that many of these women were placed in. The board was asking the minister to allow the women, who were not residents of the Dublin district, to be placed in institutions in the capital instead of being sent back to an institution in their respective counties.The correspondence highlights how the minister was not totally comfortable with the request, stating that the Dublin local authority would not be too pleased at having to take on the responsibility of the women as they were not from the jurisdiction.Another report in the State files shows that an investigation into the number of Irish unmarried pregnant women travelling to England was undertaken in 1935.The report finds that the number of Irish girls coming to England was “diminishing considerably”.“Fallen women”The report says that “first fallen” Irish women who were discovered in England should be sent back to Ireland.These “destitute Irish girls” should be “repatriated” says the report.In the “Memorandum on the provision for destitute unmarried women in Eire” it states that the Department of Local Government and Public Health “realise very fully the difficult experience in dealing with Irish girls who leave this country when pregnant and arrive in England more or less penniless…”The report says that the women should be encouraged to return to Ireland as there are a “number of special homes for mothers of illegitimate children”.The home should cover the needs of every woman in the Free State and are under the management of religious orders and supported by public funds.It states that women in these homes are provided with “good training” and states there is no set time period for their stay. There is also a specific mention of laundry work.No laundry work other than that for the institution is allowed to be done in the home… Suitable arrangements are made for the girl’s baby before she leaves…It goes on to say:The area covered by the home is suitably large to give a girl every chance of keeping her secret.The report states that these homes are generally for “first fallen” women, meaning it is their first pregnancy. A list of registered maternity homes is attached to the report.Read: Government reminded local authorities of their obligation to report infant deaths in mother and baby homes in 1946>Read: Who will chair the mother-and-baby inquiry? The Minister’s been given a list of candidates> Saturday 4 Mar 2017, 10:00 PM
Short URL Saturday 11 Feb 2017, 4:00 PM Share Tweet Email Bad weather is making the price of some vegetables soar The issue has hit some Irish supermarkets. VEGETABLE LOVERS ACROSS Europe have been making hard choices this winter after storms battered fields in southeast Spain, the continent’s main fruit and vegetable patch.Courgette prices are soaring, but shoppers are also thinking twice before shelling out for pricier tomatoes, peppers and aubergines.Some British supermarkets have even resorted to rationing sales of broccoli and lettuce in light of plummeting harvests.The issue has also hit Irish supermarkets – though they haven’t had to resort to rationing. What’s causing the problem?The vast fields along Spain’s Mediterranean coast usually stay warm enough to produce year-round, even in winter.But torrential rains hit the region late December, followed by shock snowfalls in January — areas near Murcia, in the heart of the farming zones, had not seen a snowflake in 34 years.For most of the year, Spain supplies around 30% of the main fresh fruits and vegetables on European shelves. In winter, this proportion rises to half — and to a whopping 80% when it comes to lettuce.After the bad weather hit, a Spanish federation of agricultural exporters reported a 30% drop in European shipments. The COAG farmers’ union says output has halved in the worst-hit regions.Some farmers “have lost their entire crop”, said Andres Gongora, COAG’S Almeria director.Lettuce prayThe province of Murcia, which exports two-thirds of Spanish lettuce, a trade worth 423 million euros ($450 million), has been particularly hit.Young lettuces, growing in open fields after sprouting from seeds in greenhouses, were destroyed. After the foul weather receded, a thick coat of thawed mud held up replanting in many places.“We won’t be able to plant here this year,” said Javier Soto, manager of spinach and melon growers Agrar Systems near the town of Murcian town of Torre Pacheo, pointing to a field gouged out by a muddy torrent.Adding to the veggie crunch has been heavy snowfall in northern Italy, another major supplier to Europe.Thousands of growers there have lost their crops, with expected losses of to around 400 million euros, according to Italy’s main farmers’ union.The double whammy is now being felt in European stores. Lettuce prices have doubled in Germany, and even tripled in Finland. In France, courgettes fetched four to five times their normal price in mid-January.Spanish supplies of iceberg, romaine and other types of lettuce had already been hit by a dry autumn, and artichoke harvests had fallen by a fourth.Many shoppers have vented their anger on social media, using hashtags like #lettucecrisis and #courgettecrisis.Supply problems Source: Shutterstock/Foxys Forest ManufactureLaureano Montesinos, a marketing director at Fruveg, a producer near Murcia, said British supermarket chains had not immediately grasped how dire the situation was.In Germany and northern Europe, produce stalls are not as packed as usual, but stores have managed to avoid drastic measures.“We’ve had some supply problems with iceberg lettuce these past weeks. But until now, we’ve been able to offer enough for our clients”, said Kirsten Gess, communications director for the Aldi-Sud discount chain.Spain’s agriculture minister expects production to recover in a few weeks, with producers aiming to be back on track by early March.But for lettuce grown in open fields, the wait could extend into April.For Alan Clarke, a strategist at Scotiabank in London, the price increases could spill over into processed food products, such as veggie burgers and other ready-to-eat meals.“More generally, restaurant prices face upside risks, especially because spring/summer menus are due for imminent update”, he added.So even though higher produce prices may prove short-lived once Spain’s harvests recover, diners may be paying the bill for months.Read: Want a salad for lunch? There’s a lettuce shortage> 25 Comments Image: Shutterstock/Adisa https://jrnl.ie/3232460 14,233 Views Feb 11th 2017, 4:00 PM Tweet thisShare on FacebookEmail this article Image: Shutterstock/Adisa By AFP
Passport Office costs rise by €4.3m following Brexit vote Almost 65,000 people in Britain applied for an Irish passport last year, a 42% jump. As the clock ticks down, get all the best Brexit news and analysis in your inbox: Image: Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie Share20 Tweet Email3 25 Comments Minister Charlie Flanagan at the launch of the passport card in 2015 Image: Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie 14,771 Views THE COST OF running the Passport Office surged by almost €4.3 million last year as demand for Irish passports increased in the wake of the Brexit referendum.An additional 32 staff were hired to cope with the rise in applications for Irish passports during 2016, while a number of temporary clerical officers were also engaged during especially busy periods.A total of 21,549 people applied for passports in the three months between July and September 2016 following the Brexit referendum on 23 June.This was almost double the 10,959 applicants who sought passports during the same period in the previous year.Almost 65,000 people in Britain applied for an Irish passport last year, representing an increase of 42% compared to 2015.Figures released by Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan show that the cost of running the Passport Office increased by almost €4.3 million last year to €31,637,414.During the same year, the number of full-time staff working in the Passport Office increased from 269.7 to 301.7 in response to increasing demand. The figures include salary costs but exclude accommodation costs in respect of the offices.The data was provided by Flanagan in response to a parliamentary question by Fianna Fáil TD Darragh O’Brien.Passport cardsSeparately, the minister also revealed that 42,227 new passport cards have been issued since they were introduced in October 2015.The cards are available to all Irish citizens who hold valid passports and are over the age of 18. They can be used in place of a passport for travel to and from 31 countries in Europe.“The convenience of the card in travelling to countries in Europe, along with its portability and innovative security features, have clearly resonated with the public and I am very pleased with its success to date,” Flanagan said.I will launch a new online service for adult passport renewals shortly. As part of this service, citizens will be offered an option to apply for a passport card and passport book at the same time and at a reduced fee.“I expect that the ease with which citizens will be able to apply for a passport card while renewing their passport book online will further drive strong uptake of the card,” he added.Read: Questions, unanswered: Scandals are ‘at best, incompetence and, at worst, deception’Read: 30km speed limit rolled out on further roads across Dublin city By Darragh McDonagh http://jrnl.ie/3316454 Minister Charlie Flanagan at the launch of the passport card in 2015 Saturday 1 Apr 2017, 6:30 AM Tweet thisShare on FacebookEmail this article Apr 1st 2017, 6:30 AM Short URL
The Trump Bump? An increase in trust for news media A major new report gives Irish news publications some “chinks of light”, writes Dr Jane Suiter. Share4 Tweet Email Jun 22nd 2017, 9:30 PM Thursday 22 Jun 2017, 9:30 PM TheJournal.ie is now the main online news source for Irish people>Journal Media reporters win five plaudits at Justice Media Awards> Dr Jane Suiter By Dr Jane Suiter Tweet thisShare on FacebookEmail this article 43 Comments THE NEWS MEDIA has been facing a tumultuous time, but there are some chinks of light emerging. Perhaps it’s a Trump Bump but news consumers across Europe and in Ireland are beginning to trust the media more and in particular the media they consume.At the same time, the gap is widening between trust in the news media and social media. Some 72% of Irish news consumers trust most of the news they receive most of the time and 70% say the news industry does a good job helping them distinguish fact from fiction, according to the latest Reuters’ Digital News Report for Ireland.There is some evidence over the past few years that the rise of social media has led to increased distrust of news media. The possible reasons for this are myriad but include the speed of dissemination of false news, the filter bubbles which social media can engender, and the algorithmic triggering of negative emotions.FacebookGiven the ubiquity of Facebook as a purveyor of news this should encourage the social media giant to do more in terms of helping with fact checking, penalising fake news purveyors and tweaking algorithms to ensure users see a wider range of stories. We also know that the plurality of people do not understand the nature of algorithms and personalisation and indeed there are even questions as to whether Facebook does. But it also provides an opportunity for quality media to demonstrate their unique value and is a welcome platform to build from.Today’s report found that globally only a quarter of global survey respondents think social media do a good job in separating fact from fiction, half the level who believe the news media do so. In Ireland and in countries like the US, and the UK people are twice as likely to have faith in the news media. Only in Greece do more people think social media is doing a better job, primarily because they have very low confidence in news media.Brexit and Trump have had a big impact. Trust has fallen seven percentage points in the UK since the Brexit referendum. There are now valid questions around media practices of simply providing a platform of “he said/she said” to news consumers. More critical engagement and analysis is no doubt required.Encouraging signsBut there are also encouraging signs. The New York Times added some 308,000 (net) new digital subscribers in the first three months of 2017, a record gain that has been partly attributed to the Trump presidency. The same is true of The Economist and The Washington Post among others.In some countries, the report finds a strong link between low trust and perceived political bias and to a lesser extent commercial bias. In the US those on the political right are almost three times as likely to express distrust in news organisations that they see as being part of the “liberal mainstream media” oft touted by Trump. They are also much more likely to trust sources they use themselves, such as Fox News.In Ireland these are not significant factors for most people and more Irish news consumers believe Irish news is free of undue commercial and political influence than the international average but people do still tend to trust their own sources rather than those they do not use.Trust in media?To unpack some of this we added some open-ended questions on why people do or do not trust media and crucially do and do not trust social media. Very encouragingly for Irish news media, three times as many respondents give reasons for trusting the news media as for distrusting it. And most people trust either because they believe in the professional standards, such as verification and sourcing and so on, or they simply believe the news media is generally unbiased.The kind of responses we see are that “they have reliable sources”, “they back up what they say with evidence”, “they call out fake news” and so on. In terms of people’s reasons for not trusting the news the largest category was a belief that journalists were unwilling to reveal the news with typical comments that “there is a lot of scaremongering”, or “they reveal one side” or “they tend to dramatise everything”.Interestingly, when we turn to the reason why people trust or do not trust social media we see that the pattern is reversed. Here we can see that 68% of people give reasons as to why they distrust social media while 32% give reasons to trust. Turning first to those who trust social media, the major reason is the belief that the news here is unfiltered and comes from ordinary people including their friends. However, this only accounts of 11% of those who give a reason for trusting or distrusting social media. Very few believe in either crowd sourcing and even fewer in the access it gives to multiple professional sources.What this all points to is a possible realisation on the part of news media consumers that there is a difference between quality news and algorithmically generated serendipitous news on social media. If that can be built upon more widely that would be a chink of light for the beleaguered industry.Jane Suiter is director of the Institute for Future Media and Journalism at DCU -fujomedia.eu. With support from the BAI, FuJo conducted analysis for the Ireland chapter of the Oxford Reuters Digital News Report (Ireland) 2017. Short URL http://jrnl.ie/3458829 2,141 Views 
By Paul Fennessy 34,466 Views Tuesday 26 Jun 2018, 3:00 PM 49 Comments Felipe Contepomi makes return to Leinster Rugby The former out-half previously played with the province 116 times after joining in 2003. Jun 26th 2018, 1:23 PM Felipe Contepomi (file pic). Image: Dan Sheridan/INPHO https://the42.ie/4092508 Follow us: the42.ie
FELIPE CONTEPOMI WILL return to Leinster Rugby as the club’s new backs coach, it has been confirmed.The former out-half previously played with the province 116 times after joining in 2003, helping them win a Celtic League in 2008 and a Heineken Cup in 2009 before joining Toulon.The ex-Argentina international was nominated for the IRB Player of the Year Award in 2007 and was the record all-time point scorer for the club with 1,225 points until last season.More recently, he has been working in Buenos Aires with the Argentinian Rugby Union as Head Coach of the Argentina XV for 2017/18 and with the Jaguares in Super Rugby.Speaking to leinsterrugby.ie earlier, head coach Leo Cullen backed the appointment of his his former team-mate.“We’ve been working very hard behind the scenes to recruit someone we think can build on the work done over the last few seasons, and who can ultimately add to the systems and the processes we already have in place,” he said.“To be able to call on someone of Felipe’s standing, not only within this club but within the game of rugby as a whole, is a huge boost for us as we look towards the season ahead.“Felipe has spoken so passionately to me about Leinster and wanting to help the players improve so they can achieve their full potential.“The landscape and the playing group may have changed since he was last here, but the respect that people have for him hasn’t. We are all looking forward to welcoming Felipe back to Leinster Rugby.“Finally I would like to thank the UAR for their help in this matter and for facilitating Felipe’s release.”Contepomi added: “The UAR gave me the opportunity to develop as a coach in recent years and have now allowed me the opportunity to face this new challenge in Leinster Rugby. I only have words of thanks for the Union.“I spent much of my playing career at Leinster and now I’ll be back in Dublin to join a great staff and to work with great players. All this is a huge motivation and it will be a great experience to continue growing as a coach.“I also want to thank the people who worked with me over the last few years and especially, the players I had in Argentina XV, for the commitment they had and their desire to learn, because they gave me the opportunity to become a better coach and person.”The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us! Image: Dan Sheridan/INPHO Share67 Tweet Email3 Felipe Contepomi (file pic). Legendary Irish scrum-half Peter Stringer announces his retirement aged 40>2019 World Cup a thrilling prospect for Schmidt’s superb Ireland> Short URL Tweet thisShare on FacebookEmail this article
Peter Dupas will be retried on April 7 2010 for the murder of Mersina Halvagis, according to media reports last week. The trial is expected to last eight weeks.Mersina Halvagis was stabbed to death in 1998 while visiting her grandmother’s grave at Fawkner Cemetery. Peter Dupas, 56, had been convicted of the murder in 2007. His lawyers, however, filed an appeal on the grounds that certain identification evidence should never have been presented to the jury and additionally the judge should have instructed the jury differently on other issues. The Court of Appeals granted last month the motion for a new trial. Mr Dupas’ defence team appealed in the High Court for a permanent stay of the case due to the publicity it has received.The father of Mersina, George Halvagis who had spoken to Neos Kosmos English Edition on the day of the announcement of the Court of Appeals decision had expressed his devastation and said: “At this moment I can not express how I feel, the only thing I can say is that the system is putting us on trial and nobody else.” Facebook Twitter: @NeosKosmos Instagram
Facebook Twitter: @NeosKosmos Instagram Victorian Labor Senator, Kim Carr was the keynote speaker at the launch of the book Resolving the Cyprus Conflict: Negotiation History by Greek Australian academic, Dr Michalis Michael last week.The Federal Minister praised the book for the substantial contribution it makes to the better understanding and analysis of the Cyprus problem at the launch held on Monday at the Australian Institute of International Affairs Victoria.“What the book shows is that a solution will only come from a serious understanding of the history [of the Cyprus problem]… and it looks to the past and to the future, “ said Senator Carr. The book launch was co-organised in association with the Centre for Dialogue at La Trobe University where Mr Michael is a Research Fellow. The launch was opened by the head of the Centre for Dialogue, Professor Joe Camillieri, who humorously referred to the long years of preparation for the writing of the book by the author. A brief presentation followed by the author himself who referred to the various aspects of the Cyprus issue that are covered in the book. The book offers more than a detailed study of conflict in Cyprus. It represents an important milestone in our understanding of the dynamics of protracted conflicts and of the hurdles that stand in the way of resolution. It focuses on the competition for power and resources on the one hand and the politics of identity and mistrust on the other, and goes on to connect these with the role of both regional and great power rivalries.Among a large crowd at the launch, were the Ambassador of Greece in Australia, Alexios Christopoulos, the Consul General of Greece in Melbourne, Christos Salamanis, the Consul of Cyprus High Commission in Austalia, Christianna Tzikas, the Consul General of Turkey in Melbourne, Aydin Nurhan and the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of La Trobe Professor Tim Brown.
Cypriot communities around Australia are celebrating the 50th anniversary of Cyprus’ independence with a range of community events this weekend and beyond. In Perth, the Cypriot Community of Western Australia (CCWA) is having their annual dinner dance tonight. CCWA President Demetri Demosthenous said he expected around 250 people at the event, including the High Commissioner of Cyprus in Australia, His Excellency Yiannis Iacovou, Greek consul of Perth Sofia Choli, and several local councilors including Eleni Evangelou and James Limnios.Mr Demosthenous said the CCWA had gone all-out this year, with live music, imported Cypriot alcohol and “more food than anyone can eat, in normal Greek standard ways.” “We’ve made this quite a big event, and we’ve kind of blown the budget in a big way,” he said. “But at the same time, our focus has been to bring in the Hellenic community, and their brotherhoods, towards the Cypriot community.” He said over the years, Perth’s twenty Hellenic communities had become “quite distant from each other,” and the CCWA was keen to see this end. “What we’re starting to do is bring them together, to say, ‘we’re all Hellenic in a sense,’ and we need to come together to promote Hellenism,” he said. The Cypriot Community of NSW (CCNSW) has a full schedule of events to celebrate 50 years of the Republic of Cyprus over the next 12 months.CCNSW President Michael Christodoulou said the extensive program, including a reception tomorrow night, a theatre group touring from Cyprus and soccer matches, was worth it.“We do think it’s a milestone for the Republic of Cyprus and I think it deserves to be publicised as much as possible,” he said.The program will include a number of events with Turkish Cypriots in Sydney, as part of a series of bi-communal events the CCNSW has been running. “You know, that’s going to be a bit of a difficult one when you mention the Independence Day,” said Christodoulou. In Victoria, the anniversary gala event was held at the Cyprus Community Centre last night, but Cypriots keen to join in the celebrations can head to the Church Service and Festival in West Sunshine tomorrow morning, from 8am – 12noon.For more information on events in WA, go to www.cypriotcommunitywa.com For events in NSW contact the CCNSW on (02) 95571256.For events in Victoria go to www.cyprus.com.au Facebook Twitter: @NeosKosmos Instagram
Service on the Proastiakos suburban railway will be disrupted on Orthodox Easter Saturday and Sunday next week.The Proastiakos workers’ union decided that members would walk off the job at 6 p.m. on Saturday and hold a 24-hour strike on Sunday.The union is protesting government plans to privatize the Hellenic Railways Organization (OSE), to which Proastiakos belongs.They are also pushing for their employer to agree on a collective contract.Source: Kathimerini. Facebook Twitter: @NeosKosmos Instagram