In an attempt to compete with the might of Apple, RIM has managed to secure a deal that will see 7digital’s music store preloaded on to the forthcoming Playbook tablet. In turn this will give users access to about 13 million pay-per-track songs.This should not be too much of a surprise given that 7digital has been popular on RIM’s phones in Europe, and more specifically it was available as part of Vodafone UK’s distribution plans. Back in 2009 it was also released to the US market as a DRM-free music store.The music deal is of course an attempt by RIM to try and compete with the iTunes music store as offered on the iPad, because lets face it, Blackberry has never been a consumer-focused media provider, it’s about business customers first and foremost.Checking out the 7digital store recently I noted that prices in most cases started at $0.99 per single and an average of $9.99 for top selling albums (though some albums like the Lady Gaga Remix were selling at $7.77 and they do have $5 albums as well). Compared to iTunes the single prices certainly come out better, as most of the iTunes singles go for $1.29. Mind you, album prices are more in line.RIM has also been making additional deals to cater for basic content on the platform. For example, they have signed up Kobo as the main driving force behind their bookstore, although the book selection is not as varied as on the iBooks store, but it does have a nice phone and desktop interface. As for games, RIM has turned to EA.The PlayBook is due out late this month if all goes to plan, which is wise given that Apple will be stealing all the limelight when they release the iPad 2 in the next few days.Read more at Electronista
Nuance offers comfortable typing for all with FlexT9 for tablets
My biggest gripe about 10-inch tablets, regardless of manufacturer, is typing. Sure, if you prop your tablet up or set it on a flat surface in a way that makes the device no more convenient than a laptop (and much harder to see) you can really get some typing going on. However, if you’re walking around, sitting on your couch, or doing any of the things that tablets are supposed to be really great for typing is not an enjoyable experience. Portrait use isn’t so bad for small sentences or dropping in the occasional URL, but landscape is a mess.One of my favorite examples of the level of customization in Android that you just can’t find anywhere else is the ability to change the virtual keyboard to whatever makes your life easier. So, if you’ve just gotta have that 10-inch device, you might want to check out FlexT9 from Nuance.AdChoices广告The makers of the globally famous Dragon Naturally speaking have been fiddling in the mobile space since the MyTouch 3G with Dragon Dictate. While Dictate was really cool, and at the time much more accurate than Google’s cloud based integrated solution, the keyboard that came with the speech recognition software was kind of weak. So, Nuance went back to work and came back offering up a keyboard that combines their fantastic speech recognition with three of the most popular typing solutions as well as a pile of features to really make it shine on a tablet.If you are a fan of the stock keyboard for Honeycomb, you maintain nearly the same experience. The primary differences when typing on the keyboard comes with word guessing. It will provide you with a list of alternatives if it doesn’t know the word, rather than change it automatically. If you prefer to lay your tablet down or put it on a stand and type right on the glass, your experience hasn’t changed much. However, Nuance has also added an almost Swype-like drawing experience, allowing you to quickly draw lines from letter to letter on the keyboard in order to get that word out quickly. If you are still not quite happy with your typing experience, the ability to write the letters on the screen Graffiti-style is also available, and allows you to quickly jump into writing especially if you favor the Capacitive Stylus method of data entry.The crowning jewel to the keyboard remains as Nuance’s Dragon software. Dragon Dictate, powered by the same software that drives their Naturally Speaking software, works hard to analyze the sound byte it records and filter out background noise, static, music, etc. and deliver the spoken word to the screen both quickly and accurately.Nuance’s FlexT9 app is available in the Android market for both phones and tablets for $4.99.
European Extremely Large Telescope will be worlds biggest eye on the sky
Would you look at the size of that thing! Pictured above is the European Extremely Large Telescope, or E-ELT for short. ELT’s are a priority for the world’s astronomers because they are going to be able to reveal things that we have never seen before by giving scientists a mammoth viewing lens into the night sky.When they call this thing large, they mean it. The lens alone is going to be 40 meters wide, which is 131 feet and some change. It will be the largest lens on the planet, and will be capable of giving us a new view of distant space. Apparently it will be able to capture images that are 15x sharper than Hubble.One of the priorities for the European Southern Observatory (ESO) is to track down Earth-like planets, as well as planets in habitable zones. In addition, the ESO will be focusing on super-massive black holes, working to uncover more information on dark matter and its dispersal in the universe.The lens itself it an interesting feat of engineering, as it is not going to be one solid piece of glass. It probably is not a good idea to create a piece of that size anyway, as can you imagine trying to fit that in the back of your truck to transport it out to the site? The ESO can’t either, so in a move that is both saving them money, and making it easier to transport and install, they have split the lens up into 798 hexagonal segments. Thus creating a situation where they are ordering glass in bulk to drop the price, and making it easier on the poor guy/team that has to install it.It is going to be exciting when the ESO finishes the E-ELT, planned to be some time around the end of the decade, as the discoveries that await it are sure to produce some awesome imagery. Check out the video trailer for the project below.More at the European Southern Observatory
Review Aviate is a fresh face for your Android phone
Hardcore Android users have long prized their ability to deeply customize their experience so that it is either more efficient or simply more personalized. What if you decided to throw all of that away in exchange for an interface that filled in the blanks for you? Aviate is a launcher replacement on the surface, but ultimately it serves as a replacement for dozens of tedious tasks on Android.Ever since the launch of the first Android phone, the G1, there have been developers out there trying to improve upon the Android launcher. Some of them exist to add new features, some of them exist to provide alternatives for users who get stuck with outdated launchers made by the smartphone manufacturers, while still others are simply designed to make a homescreen look like a Padd from Star Trek. Whatever, the reason, alternative launchers have existed almost from the beginning.Most of their changes are cosmetic, in fact it’s only really been in the last year that apps like Action Launcher have come out and really started adding features you couldn’t find anywhere else. Aviate takes things in a wildly different direction, asking the user to sacrifice control of their launcher in exchange for a whole new workflow.From the start, you’ll notice that Aviate isn’t like the other kids in the Play Store. The screen setup is wildly different, mostly because there are no screens. Your primary “home” setup is a combination of key apps and widgets that you use every day… and that’s it. There’s no other screen to swipe to for more widgets, or another page of your painstakingly organized folders of apps. These things are gone, and instead what you get is the experience Aviate knows you want, based on how you use actually your phone throughout the day.Aviate’s home page is constantly changing to offer you content that is relevant to your usage patterns. When your alarm goes off in the morning and you reach for your phone, Aviate has Geek.com (your favorite news site) and whatever apps you go to first thing in the morning right there for you in a special morning only window. Then when you are on your way to work, Aviate has the maps and music apps ready to go, as well as a suggestion of apps you may also be interested in when you are in transit. When you get to work, the screen changes again to offer you apps that you are most likely to use in this environment.If Aviate guesses incorrectly, you do have a little bit of manual control. You can set whatever app you want in the environment you are currently in, and it will stay there. You have control over what widgets are shown on the homescreen, and you have the ability to dismiss any app suggestions that are made. Access your whole list of apps is now two swipes away, and has been alphabetized to make it easier to find an app quickly. This does technically put your complete library of apps one step further away than with most other launchers, but from my testing the suggestion engine has been so good I rarely have had to hunt for an app.Being location aware for certain environments is both a gift and a curse when using this service. It’s one area that isn’t quite polished yet for Aviate, and can cause problems as you use it. If the app thinks you’re at a nearby restaurant or landmark it will change your screen to attempt to optimize. This could be a good thing if it was more accurate, as it offers Foursquare check-in and reviews that can be quickly accessed. Switching back to the correct environment with the Spaces tab is easy enough, but the app seems to not learn from this correction quite fast enough yet. On several occasions, I’ve had to move back from being put in the same incorrect environment.In the Spaces slide-in menu you will also find the system settings. It’s a little odd a first to see the launcher treat Settings in the same way that it treats location changes, but it’s hard to argue with how fast you can access almost every common setting from this menu. If you’re using a modern version of Android, it’s the same number of steps as the quick-launch page. What makes it make more sense to use on a regular basis is the access to theme control and a quick glance at non-system settings. If you use apps like Lux or Battery Widget Reborn! you can place control for these here and access them alongside the rest of your settings.Ultimately, Aviate is nearly perfect if you don’t enjoy spending countless hours controlling every pixel on your home screen. After a few days of use the app does a fantastic job putting everything within reach of the main screen, and it does so in a way that makes you feel like it was your idea. It’s got a little ways to go before when it comes to being location accurate, perhaps even a way to only allow the app to change when in pre-defined zones, but it’s an impressive accomplishment for a newcomer to the launcher replacement space.
We asked a master crêpier to make us a Valentines pancake
We asked a master crêpier to make us a ‘Valentine’s pancake’ It’s both Pancake Tuesday and Valentine’s Day this week so we asked a master crêpier asked for something sweet and savory using aphrodisiac ingredients of his choosing. By Andrew Roberts Monday 12 Feb 2018, 8:30 PM 9 Comments IT DOESN’T HAPPEN particularly often – but this year, Pancake Tuesday and Valentine’s Day are happening in the same week.What better way to mark this quirk of the calendar than to whip up a romantic pancake or two for your other half?Okay, there may well be far better ways to mark Valentine’s Day… Nevertheless, we asked master crêpier Redmond Kennedy to cook us both sweet and savoury pancake dishes using aphrodisiac ingredients of his choosing.You can view the sweet version, prepared at Voici Crêperie & Wine Bar in Rathmines, above. And if you’re on the hunt for something to make a meal of – check out the video below… Source: TheJournal.ie/YouTube http://jrnl.ie/3848397 Source: TheJournal.ie/YouTube Subscribe for more videos Share23 Tweet Email14 Tweet thisShare on FacebookEmail this article 16,995 Views Short URL Feb 12th 2018, 8:31 PM 
The UK could be without many KFC restaurants all week
SOME KFC OUTLETS in Britain are to remain shut for the rest of the week, the fast-food operator said as a supply crisis rumbled on, leaving fans craving a fix of deep-fried chicken.About 450 of the chain’s 900 outlets remained closed late Tuesday after “operational issues” with new German delivery supplier DHL left them without poultry supplies.“Each day more deliveries are being made,” said a spokesman for KFC.“However, we expect the disruption to some restaurants to continue over the remainder of the week, meaning some will be closed and others operating with a reduced menu or shortened hours.”The crisis erupted over the weekend when KFC switched its delivery contract to DHL, leading to the closure of 700 of its British stores.“We’ve brought a new delivery partner onboard, but they’ve had a couple of teething problems — getting fresh chicken out to 900 restaurants across the country is pretty complex,” KFC said.“We know that this might have inconvenienced some of you over the last few days, and disappointed you when you wanted your fried chicken fix,” the company added.With some customers apparently suffering withdrawal symptoms, one London police department tweeted: “Please do not contact us about the KFCcrisis — it is not a police matter if your favourite eatery is not serving the menu that you desire.”DHL’s managing director of retail, John Boulter, said the delivery firm was working to “return to normal service levels as soon as possible.“The reasons for this unforeseen interruption of this complex service are being worked on,” he added, although did not give the exact reason for the problem.“We are committed to step-by-step improvements to allow KFC to reopen its stores over the coming days.” © – AFP 2018Read: KFC stores across the UK were closed today because of a chicken shortage http://jrnl.ie/3862973 Wednesday 21 Feb 2018, 7:06 AM Short URL By AFP The UK could be without many KFC restaurants all week People have been calling the police. Image: PA Wire/PA Images 18,822 Views Image: PA Wire/PA Images Share35 Tweet Email4 43 Comments Feb 21st 2018, 7:06 AM Tweet thisShare on FacebookEmail this article
Woman missing from Lucan found safe and well
By Aoife Barry Saturday 25 Feb 2017, 2:05 PM Short URL Tweet thisShare on FacebookEmail this article Image: RollingNews.ie 21,595 Views Updated 26 February, 10amGARDAÍ HAVE THANKED the public for their assistance in tracing the whereabouts of 56-year-old woman who was missing from the Lucan area for a number of days. Feb 25th 2017, 2:05 PM Share Tweet Email Image: RollingNews.ie 5 Comments Woman missing from Lucan found safe and well The 56-year-old has been missing since 8.20pm on 6 February in Lucan. https://jrnl.ie/3258834 
Armed gardaí rush to robbery only to find TY students making a
29,994 Views Armed gardaí rush to ‘robbery’ only to find TY students making a film The incident happened on Wednesday evening. 27 Comments Friday 27 Jan 2017, 10:09 PM Image: RollingNews.ie http://jrnl.ie/3210125 By Garreth MacNamee Jan 27th 2017, 10:09 PM Share Tweet Email Image: RollingNews.ie OVER A DOZEN gardaí rushed to the scene of what they believed to be an armed robbery only to find a group of Transition Years teenagers making a student film.A number of both uniformed and armed officers were dispatched to Causeway in Kerry after being alerted by a member of the public on Wednesday night who thought they were witnessing a crime in progress.Causeway Comprehensive had sought permission from the local shop owner to film the production but the school forgot to notify the local gardaí.Speaking on Radio Kerry, Inspector Liam Wallace from Listowel garda station said a large amount of resources were sent to the village. However, he warned that the miscommunication could have left gardaí short in case a real incident had occurred elsewhere at the time.He said: “You are talking about armed units from both Listowel and Tralee and uniformed gardaí from both Ardfert and Listowel. At least in and around 14 people were sent.“In this instance there was a slight break-down of communication. A simple phonecall to us in advance could potentially save us a lot of trouble and a lot of difficulty. Our concern is that, while we have resources attending at that particular incident, they might have been required elsewhere.”The school’s vice principal Anne-Marie Hassett apologised for not notifying officers.Read: New service means you can now track your passport application online >Read: Spy chief confirms ‘Q’ from James Bond is a woman in real life > Short URL Tweet thisShare on FacebookEmail this article
He called it obsolete but Trump says he will reaffirm US commitment
By AFP Image: Andrew Harnik AP/Press Association Images Wednesday 22 Mar 2017, 7:23 AM Mar 22nd 2017, 7:23 AM Image: Andrew Harnik AP/Press Association Images Tillerson skipping NATO meeting ′a mistake′ that should be reversed — my take https://t.co/Mw8T7iD7aZ— Ivo Daalder (@IvoHDaalder) March 21, 2017 Source: Ivo Daalder/Twitter He called it ‘obsolete’, but Trump says he will reaffirm US commitment to Nato The White House confirmed Trump will attend a Nato meeting in May. https://jrnl.ie/3300044 
Stoltenberg – who was attending meetings at the Pentagon this week ahead of a conference of the coalition fighting the Islamic State group – refused to respond to questions on Tillerson’s decision, while Nato officials said it was up to allies to determine their level of representation.In Brussels, the United States will be represented by Tom Shannon, the highest ranking career diplomat in the State Department and Tillerson’s acting deputy – since almost two months in the job, Tillerson has yet to appoint a deputy or any assistant secretaries.Acting State Department spokesman Mark Toner said the decision for Tillerson to skip the Brussels meeting was not unprecedented, and that secretaries of state had missed the April foreign ministers meeting in 2003 and 1999.Officials insisted Tillerson will in any case meet most of the foreign ministers from the 28-nation military alliance at today’s anti-IS coalition talks at the State Department.Bloody uprisingUnder Obama, the US worked with Nato to shore up support for the pro-western government in Kiev after Russia’s annexation of Crimea and its support for a bloody uprising in eastern Ukraine.Combined with economic sanctions, the deployment of more Nato troops from Western members to frontline Eastern allies in the Baltics and Poland was intended to send a signal to Moscow that further intervention would not be tolerated.But during his successful 2016 presidential campaign, Trump struck a more emollient tone with Moscow, even expressing admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin, while dismissing Nato as “obsolete.”© – AFP, 2017Read: Ivanka Trump has an office in the White HouseRead: Enda Kenny has support for inviting Trump and leading Brexit negotiations 8,611 Views Share51 Tweet Email THE WHITE HOUSE confirmed that President Donald Trump will join fellow Nato leaders for a key May summit in Brussels, as the US administration seeks to quash questions about Trump’s support for the alliance.The Trump administration has been scrambling to reaffirm its commitment to Washington’s military alliances – including Nato – after the Republican billionaire called into question their usefulness during the presidential race.News that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson would skip a Nato meeting in April – but travel to Russia the same month – did little to allay concerns.By confirming Trump’s participation in the 25 May summit, the US administration – the leading partner in the North Atlantic alliance – moved to reset the narrative.“The president looks forward to meeting with his Nato counterparts to reaffirm our strong commitment to Nato, and to discuss issues critical to the alliance, especially allied responsibility-sharing and Nato’s role in the fight against terrorism,” said a White House statement.Likewise, Nato officials struck a forward-looking note, playing down the apparent snub by Tillerson and instead confirming the summit date and announcing that its Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg – who was in Washington this week – would return to the US capital for talks with the president ahead of the leaders’ summit.The White House said the 12 April meeting would be a chance for Trump and Stoltenberg to “talk about how to strengthen the alliance to cope with challenges to national and international security.”The summit itself, Nato said, would focus on “the alliance’s role in the fight against terrorism, and the importance of increased defense spending and fairer burden-sharing” – language that appeared to acknowledge Trump’s repeated complaint that US allies are not paying their way.Just last week, after meeting Chancellor Angela Merkel at the White House, Trump took to Twitter to claim that Germany owes “vast sums of money to Nato and the United States.”Exposed flankTrump’s Defense Secretary James Mattis, a former Marine general, has declared that the United States fully supports Nato. Tillerson traveled last week to Asia to reaffirm ties with allies Japan and South Korea.But regardless of Trump’s attendance at the May summit, his top diplomat’s absence from its foreign ministers’ meeting on 5 and 6 April will be noted with concern, especially by newer east European members on its exposed east flank.Ivo Daalder, a former US ambassador to Nato and now president of the Chicago Council think tank, wrote on Twitter that the decision “feeds growing allied doubts about US commitments,” saying the April foreign ministers’ meeting is crucial preparation for the full Nato summit that Washington “can’t miss.” 24 Comments Short URL Tweet thisShare on FacebookEmail this article
There is no excuse Detained US student suffered extensive brain damage in
Tweet thisShare on FacebookEmail this article Short URL DOCTORS TREATING OTTO Warmbier, the US student released by North Korea in a coma this week, said the 22-year-old had suffered severe brain damage, as his father lashed out at the reclusive regime.Warmbier experienced extensive tissue loss in all regions of the brain, doctors said, but he showed no signs of physical trauma and medical tests offered no conclusive evidence as to the cause of his neurological injuries.His father, Fred Warmbier, hit out at Kim Jong-Un’s authoritarian state which kept the family in the dark, with little to no news for much of the young man’s imprisonment.It was only a week ago, after a US diplomatic effort, that they were told he had been in a coma since shortly after being incarcerated in March 2016 for stealing a political poster from a hotel.“Even if you believe their explanation of botulism and a sleeping pill causing the coma, and we don’t,” Warmbier told a news conference at the family’s home city of Cincinnati, Ohio, “there is no excuse for any civilised nation to have kept his condition secret and denied him top-notch medical care for so long.”“I call on them to release the other Americans being held,” he urged, referring to three US citizens still in North Korea.Doctors at the UC Health University of Cincinnati Medical Center said the young man was able to breathe on his own, but his neurological state was best described “as a state of unresponsive wakefulness”.Neurologist Daniel Kanter said.He has spontaneous eye opening and blinking. However, he shows no signs of understanding language, responding to verbal commands or awareness of his surroundings.The medical team said Warmbier’s severe brain injury was most likely, given his young age, to have been caused by cardiopulmonary arrest cutting the blood supply to the brain.But they could not definitively say what could have caused such an event, saying they had found no signs of a botulism infection, the explanation given by the North Korean regime for how the young man fell into a coma.‘Trump call’In a one-line statement earlier on the state-run Korean Central News Agency, North Korea said it had released Warmbier “on humanitarian grounds”.The university student had been on a tourist trip when he was arrested and sentenced to 15 years hard labour, a punishment the US decried as far out of proportion to his alleged crime, accusing the North of using him as a political pawn. Fred Warmbier, father of Otto Warmbier. Source: John Minchillo/PAHis release came amid tensions with Washington following a series of missile tests by Pyongyang, focusing attention on an arms buildup that Pentagon chief Jim Mattis this week dubbed “a clear and present danger to all”.A State Department spokeswoman told reporters in Washington that Warmbier’s release followed “quiet diplomacy”, at US President Donald Trump’s suggestion.In May, State Department special envoy Joe Yun met with high-level representatives from the North Korean foreign ministry on the margins of separate discussions in Norway to talk about detained American citizens.And at a further meeting in New York on 6 June, Yun learned of Warmbier’s medical condition for the first time, said spokeswoman Heather Nauert, outlining the release effort.Over the next five days, and after consulting Trump, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson instructed Yun to travel to North Korea to negotiate Warmbier’s release.While there, Yun met with the three other Americans being held, who include two men who taught at a Pyongyang university funded by overseas Christian groups, and a Korean-American pastor accused of espionage for the South.“There are three other Americans currently being held in North Korea. We hope that they will soon be able to return home,” Nauert added.Washington has stepped up pressure on China and other foreign powers to enforce existing UN sanctions on North Korea, and has deployed increased military assets of its own in the region.Fred Warmbier expressed gratitude for the US administration’s efforts in his son’s favour, and said he spoke personally with Trump late on Wednesday. Otto Warmbier is loaded into an ambulance after being carried off of an airplane at Lunken Airport in Cincinnati. Source: Sam Greene/PA“He was very candid and it was a nice conversation,” he said, adding that Trump expressed concern for the family’s wellbeing.Warmbier’s evacuation also coincided with the arrival in Pyongyang of flamboyant retired NBA basketball star Dennis Rodman, a former contestant on Trump’s “Celebrity Apprentice” reality show.Fred Warmbier echoed the message of US officials, who have said Rodman played no role in the release.“Dennis Rodman had nothing to do with Otto,” he said. “It’s a diversion, I’m sure.”The student’s father also criticised the previous administration of Barack Obama for not having done more for their son.He said officials had counseled the family to not speak out about Otto’s detention, to avoid antagonizing the North Korean regime.“We relied on this false premise that they would treat Otto fairly and let him go,” Warmbier said. “The results speak for themselves.”© – AFP, 2017Read: London fire: ‘There is a risk we may not be able to identify everybody’ Jun 16th 2017, 7:47 AM By AFP 37,225 Views http://jrnl.ie/3447109 30 Comments Image: Kim Kwang Hyon ‘There is no excuse’: Detained US student suffered ‘extensive’ brain damage in North Korea He was arrested for allegedly taking a poster from a North Korean hotel. Share223 Tweet Email Image: Kim Kwang Hyon Friday 16 Jun 2017, 7:47 AM
Two men charged in relation to hijacking of car in south Dublin
Jun 17th 2017, 11:47 AM Image: RollingNews.ie By Garreth MacNamee Image: RollingNews.ie No Comments TWO MEN ARRESTED in connection with the hijacking of a car in south Dublin earlier this week have been charged in relation to the alleged crime.Officers arrested the men following the alleged hijacking of a vehicle in the south Dublin area which happened on the 15 June.Gardaí said the men are accused of being involved in armed robberies which occurred earlier in the day at a service station in Palmerstown and a shop in Tallaght.The vehicle believed to be involved these incidents, a silver hatchback, was discovered burnt out near the area of the hijacking which occurred in the Shankill area when a female driver was stopped by two men on Old Connaught Drive at around 4pm. She was uninjured in the incident.Both men were remanded in custody to appear in court at a later date.Read: O’Mahony gives strong audition for Test captaincy on good night for the IrishRead: Two men arrested and handgun seized in Dublin city centre > https://jrnl.ie/3449667 16,444 Views Saturday 17 Jun 2017, 11:47 AM Share5 Tweet Email1 Two men charged in relation to hijacking of car in south Dublin The men were arrested earlier this week. Short URL Tweet thisShare on FacebookEmail this article
The importance hasnt gone away Calls for geography to be brought back
53 Comments 15,944 Views Share373 Tweet Email4 Tweet thisShare on FacebookEmail this article Short URL Image: Leah Farrell/Photocall Ireland Feb 25th 2019, 1:17 PM https://jrnl.ie/4511988 
As we live in a world increasingly defined by these “wicked problems” with multiple causes and interactions, the next generation of Irish decision-makers need to be equipped with the practical and analytical skills to effectively address them – this starts in primary and secondary schools.While students will be still able to study geography as an optional subject, Hickey worries that by not making it compulsory it will affect the attitudes of parents and of schools in how they provide for it. THE HEADS OF geography departments at six universities have written an open letter criticising the decision to remove geography as a mandatory subject at Junior Cert level. History and geography were removed as core subjects from the Junior Cert last year but the decision to remove history is currently under review. Speaking on Morning Ireland, Dr Kieran Hickey of UCC said he wants the Department of Education to reconsider its decision on geography, as it is “critically” important.“It was a core subject for the Junior Cert for a very long time and the reasons for that are because it was considered to be a very important subject, and that importance hasn’t gone away,” he said. Hickey says there are pushing the Department of Education to change the decision and the fact that they are reconsidering their decision to remove history as a core subject means “there is some flexibility left”.In an open letter, published in the Irish Times, the heads of the geography departments said it was “vitally important that all secondary school students have a geographic training so that they can become active participants in tackling national and global issues”. Image: Leah Farrell/Photocall Ireland ‘The importance hasn’t gone away’: Calls for geography to be brought back as core subject Geography was removed as a core subject from the Junior Cert last year. Monday 25 Feb 2019, 1:17 PM By Adam Daly
A tiny brewery is planned for Dublins docklands and it looks to
A tiny brewery is planned for Dublin’s docklands and it looks to belong to BrewDog The Scottish maker of Punk IPA beer is staying tight-lipped on the matter. The application did not disclose the name of the microbrewery operator and referred to the tenant only as “an operation that has been successfully established in other cities across the UK and Europe”.BrewDog did not respond to repeated requests for comment this week. A Kennedy Wilson spokesperson declined to comment on the matter. Source: Shutterstock/Douglas PfeifferGrowthThe craft beer maker – whose portfolio includes dozens of ciders, spirits and beers including Punk IPA and Dead Pony Club – last year registered a local company. It previously announced plans to open its first bar in Ireland at the end of 2018, but the project was postponed due to a “challenging” property market.In October, BrewDog’s international marketing boss, Dan Jones, told Fora that plans for the Dublin pub would be reignited in 2019.According to the company’s ‘blueprint’, published late last year, the pub is scheduled to open in June – on top of seven other locations.BrewDog was established in 2007 in north-east Scotland with two employees. It currently employs more than 1,000 people.In 2010, the company opened its first bar in Aberdeen. By last year, it was running more than 50 outlets across the UK, the US, Spain, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Finland and Belgium – and one hotel.Its pubs feature a wide range of on-tap BrewDog offerings, as well as guest beers from other craft beer makers. The outlets also provide food. Currently, it runs four breweries in Scotland, Australia and the US. The company doesn’t yet have a physical presence in Ireland, but it has exported to here for several years.In 2017, BrewDog recorded sales of more than £111 million and an operating profit of £2.7 million. Last month, it appointed Andrew Shaw as its new CEO. Get our NEW Daily Briefing with the morning’s most important headlines for innovative Irish businesses.Written by Zuzia Whelan and posted on Fora.ie Sunday 24 Mar 2019, 6:00 AM “It will offer an artisan element and bring social and cultural elements to the traditional pub experience,” the plans stated. A PLANNING APPLICATION has been submitted for a tiny microbrewery in Dublin’s docklands area – and it looks to form part of Scottish craft beer maker BrewDog’s plan to open a pub in the capital.The application for an “in-house micro-brewing facility” was earlier this week submitted on behalf of US real estate group Kennedy Wilson, which recently completed construction of the 690,000 sq ft mixed use development, Capital Dock, at Sir John Rogerson’s Quay.According to a Sunday Times report, BrewDog recently applied for a licence to operate a bar and restaurant at the development in a two-storey building at Three Locks Square.Kennedy Wilson submitted an application in December 2018 seeking retention permission to change the use of the building from a cafe or restaurant to a public house with “ancillary restaurant use” and a craft beer offering.Dublin City Council is due to make a decision on whether or not to approve the proposed build on 1 April.Separately, Kennedy Wilson has this week sought permission for an “in-house micro-brewing facility” measuring 50 sq ft and external seating that is intended to serve as an add-on to the planned pub. Image: Andrew Matthews/PA Archive/PA Images 14,086 Views Share41 Tweet Email3 By Fora Staff
10 Comments Image: Andrew Matthews/PA Archive/PA Images Mar 16th 2019, 1:00 AM Get Fora’s NEW daily digest of the morning’s key business news: Short URL https://jrnl.ie/4554958 Tweet thisShare on FacebookEmail this article
To be playing against Ulster that was a huge moment for me
‘To be playing against Ulster, that was a huge moment for me and my family’ 25-year-old Ed Byrne has been in superb form for Leinster this season. Apr 8th 2019, 7:31 PM 28,498 Views Subscribe 7 Comments Monday 8 Apr 2019, 7:30 PM https://the42.ie/4582130 
Short URL Tweet thisShare on FacebookEmail this article By Murray Kinsella Share31 Tweet Email IT’S BEEN A real breakthrough season for Ed Byrne with Leinster and he had a new milestone again last weekend… his first time packing down at number eight.The loosehead prop ended up providing back row cover on the bench for Leinster against Benetton after the late withdrawal of Josh Murphy due to illness forced a reshuffle.With five minutes of the game remaining, Byrne was sent on in place of Scott Penny just before a defensive scrum, where he lined up in the number eight slot.“That was a first!” says Byrne with a laugh. “I was alright with it. I came on and had been told I might be covering six so initially when I came on, I was thinking ‘That’s a pretty big blindside there!’“I was a small bit worried but once I was packing down at eight, I had a fair idea of what I needed to do. I spoke to Max [Deegan] and Caelan [Doris] very quickly, then we ended up defending for five minutes so didn’t get another set-piece after that.”Unfortunately for Leinster, Benetton managed to force their way over with the clock in the red to secure a share of the spoils.For Byrne, it was a brief replacement appearance in a season that has seen the 25-year-old’s career accelerate to the point that he is keeping the 54-times capped Ireland international Jack McGrath out of Leinster’s Champions Cup matchday squads.Cian Healy remains the first-choice in the number one shirt but Byrne’s form has been superb and has seen McGrath look elsewhere by agreeing to join Ulster next season.With 14 appearances in the Pro14 and a further four off the bench in Europe, including a 23-minute stint in the quarter-final win over Ulster, Byrne has exceeded his own objectives for this campaign. Byrne shakes hands with Ulster’s John Cooney after Leinster’s quarter-final win. Source: Morgan Treacy/INPHO“My goal at the start of the season was to play Champions Cup so it was great to play in the games I did,” he says. “I’m loving that and getting some really good opportunities this year. Hopefully, I’m putting my hand up now.”There’s little doubt Byrne is doing so and his progress is all the more enjoyable for the injury hell he went through from 2014 until early 2017.In total, he missed 28 months with cruel knee injuries. There were dark times when he wondered whether he would ever play again. Largely fit for the past two seasons and seemingly getting better with every game, Byrne does sometimes reflect on that horrific period.“It’s a strange one, it’s there. I don’t like to look back on it too much because the fear of injury for a few months after that was top of my head, just really wanting to get a run of games and keep fit. I’m always trying to keep on top of the little bits that help that.“Just in terms of adversity and getting through tough times, it makes those big days very special. I went through an unbelievably tough time there and now to be playing against Ulster two weeks ago, that was a huge moment for me and my family. It does make those days extra special.” Byrne scored two tries against the Kings in February. Source: Tommy Dickson/INPHOLeinster have pushed Byrne to concentrate on his “point of difference,” namely the explosive ball-carrying he has had from his earliest days in rugby and which helped him to excel in schools rugby with Clongowes.In terms of his set-piece work, Byrne says Leinster scrum coach John Fogarty has been an “incredible” influence, having worked with him in the provincial system since the age of 18.And the presence of seasoned internationals in Healy and McGrath in the “unbelievably competitive” loosehead spot has been key to him learning more each season.“The lads have been great, I’ve learned a huge amount from them over the years,” says Byrne. “Even chatting through little things with Cian and Jack scrum-wise, little pointers here and there.“Throughout the whole group, there’s unbelievable competition but great friendships there as well, lads get on really well. It’s very important to strike that balance.”Off the pitch, Byrne is a popular figure in the Leinster group and part of the Carlow crew along with his twin brother, Bryan, and Sean O’Brien, whose Instagram stories often feature Ed.“It’s not by choice really but unfortunately, I’m on the end of them,” laughs Byrne.Byrne’s own rugby story looks like a happier one with each passing week.Subscribe to our new podcast, The42 Rugby Weekly, here:
Greeks abroad vote to sink in parliament
Facebook Twitter: @NeosKosmos Instagram The Greek cabinet approved a draft bill which will allow Greeks abroad to vote in Greek elections from their place of residence last week. Interior Minister Prokopis Pavlopoulos urged the political parties to cooperate in passing the bill into law when introducing the legislation to Greek Parliament.“We cannot deprive expatriates of their right to participate in the political life of the country. It is dictated by the Constitution but is also our obligation towards them when we know how much we owe them and how much they can renew the political life of the country through their participation and their ideas,” he underlined.However hope that the proposed bill giving Greeks living abroad the right to vote Greek elections will pass was dealt a serious blow when Opposition parties declared their opposition to the proposed legislation. This does not augur well for the fate of the proposed bill because it needs 200 of the 300 MPs to support the bill for it to become law. Andreas Loverdos, a PASOK deputy and the party’s spokesman on foreign affairs, indicated that PASOK will oppose the bill. PASOK is unhappy that its calls were not heeded for a postal ballot and for the creation of constituencies for Greeks abroad so that they can directly elect MPs to Parliament.Syriza (The Left Coalition) has adopted a similar position.KKE has also expressed its opposition to the bill, saying that it would have a disproportionate effect on the election result. The Right-wing Popular Orthodox Rally said that it is largely in favour of the bill.The proposed legislation gives the right to vote to Greeks that are permanently resident abroad and those that are stationed abroad, either working for Greek foreign services or as employees of international organisations. These will be included in special electoral rolls to be compiled and regularly updated by Greek consulates.Those wanting to vote would have to register with the Greek embassies or consulates in their place of residence.They will be able to vote only for the party of their choice, not specific candidates. Their votes will be counted at the embassies or consulates by an electoral committee and the results announced at the same time as those in Greece.Every party would have to include three Greeks living abroad on their State List, which is made up of 12 candidates that do not stand in any specific constituency but are elected to Parliament based on the proportion of the vote received by their party. The minister clarified that the proposed bill will be transitional, since this would be the first time that the Greeks abroad would vote in elections. Once it had been tested in practice, the government would then examine the possibility of representation for specific regions abroad and ways in which the Constitutional provision for a postal vote might be implemented in practice.He also explained that the votes of expatriates participating in the elections would be added to the total of those voting throughout the country and in this way, their percentage would also be taken into account when calculating the allocation of seats in Parliament to each party.By tabling the draft bill in Parliament, the government was fulfilling the pledge it had originally made in 2004 to bring a draft law executing the Constitution and thus give Greeks abroad the chance to vote, Pavlopoulos stressed.
Bank deposits rebound in August
Facebook Twitter: @NeosKosmos Instagram Bank deposits in Greece are showing signs of a rebound this month for the first time in the last couple of years, as customers respond positively to last month’s news about a second bailout for Greece, reinforcing trust in the local system. At the same time, uncertainty about the Cyprus economy has resulted in many Greeks withdrawing their deposits from its banks and bringing them back to Greece, taking the inflow of funds to about 1.5 billion euros in the last three weeks, Bank of Greece Governor Giorgos Provopoulos told Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos during a meeting. This means that August may well prove to be the first month with a positive balance of capital inflows, after total deposits in the local banking system had shrunk to 249.4 billion euros in June from 280.2 billion euros last December. Some of the deposits are from the general government sector, amounting to 9.1 billion euros at the end of June, official data indicates.Source: Kathimerini
Greek trade mission breaks B2B record
Facebook Twitter: @NeosKosmos Instagram In what can be taken as a sign of the tenacity of Greek business to trade its way out of the country’s continuing woes, a trade delegation of leading Greek companies completed the Melbourne leg of a ground breaking trip to Australia on Friday. After two intense days of presentations and meetings, the delegation set a new record for the largest number of business to business meetings ever organised in a single networking event between Greek and Australian companies. Organised by the Hellenic Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (HACCI) in association with the Thessaloniki International Trade Fair (TIF), the warmly welcomed visitors included the Minster for Macedonia and Thrace and the Mayors of the Municipality of Western Mani and the Municipality of Lagadas. Comprising a diverse range of business interests – including food and beverage, renewable energy, engineering, security systems company, fashion accessory business, furniture and home-wares, all were looking for a foothold in the Australian market. They move on to New South Wales energised and optimistic following their experience in Melbourne. As the curtain came down on the Victorian trade interactions, TIF Managing Director Mr Anastasios Tzikas told Neos Kosmos: “Australia is a very important market for Greece – mainly because of the strong Greek contingency which can serve as the bridge.“The meetings went well and in a very positive climate, and I think that we will have specific results.” Mr Tzikas said he was keen for momentum to be kept up after a strong start to the partnerships conceived so far. “There will have to be a follow up and continuation of the connections made,” said TIF’s MD. “A first step will be the participation of Australia in the Thessaloniki International Trade Fair next September and the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between TIF, HACCI and the Victorian Employers’ Chamber of Commerce and Industry.” A spokesperson for HACCI told Neos Kosmos that the trade mission in Victoria had been a unparalleled success: “Over eighty B2B meetings were organised for the companies over the two days. This is the first mission of what will surely be several more to follow.” Companies who took part included AIAS Engineering – specialists in solar energy technologies, AKROTHEA – winery producers and bottlers of organic wine, ALFA WOOD S.A. – wood processing, ELEONES of CHALKIDIKI S.A. – olive production, ENPOKA S.A. – ouzo and tsipouro EVDERMIA – dermatological products, GLS Fused Glass, IMIA furniture, MONDOABEE / Unitrade Group – food products, OLYMPIA ELECTRONICS, PELOPAC SA food products, PERIDEO S.A. – jewellery, TECHNOPOLIS THESSALONIKIS S.A. – Thessaloniki business park and THESSALONIKI INTERNATIONAL TRADE FAIR Australian companies wishing to sign up for B2B meetings in Sydney which take place on Tuesday Nov 27 at the Sydney Convention Centre, should contact HACCI on 03 9602 2977 or info@hacci.com.au
Government scrambles to draft multibill
Facebook Twitter: @NeosKosmos Instagram Government officials are scrambling this week to draft a multi-bill containing a series of “prior actions” agreed with the troika, including a contentious streamlining of the civil service, in a bid to vote the legislation through Parliament by Sunday and secure the release of 8.8 billion euros in rescue loans.Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras said he would brief coalition officials on the measures before submitting the bill to Parliament on Thursday under an emergency procedure. The vote must take place by Sunday as next week is Holy Week ahead of Orthodox Easter and Parliament will not be sitting, Stournaras said.He added that Greece would have to approve the prior actions in time for a Eurogroup meeting on May 13, when an installment of 6 billion euros is due to be approved.The 2.8-billion-euro tranche is set to get the green light when the Euro Working Group meets next Monday. Sources indicated that, in the worst-case scenario, the vote could be put back to Wednesday.Stournaras is keen to overcome objections by the two junior partners in the coalition, PASOK and Democratic Left, as cadres of both parties claim not to have been briefed about the contents of the multi-bill.The bill will contain provisions relating to the dismissal of 15,000 civil servants by the end of 2014, the number of installments Greeks will be allowed to repay taxes or social security contributions and a 15 percent reduction on the emergency property tax. The section on the civil servants’ layoffs is expected to be detailed with provisions aimed at speeding up the disciplinary process that public servants accused of offenses must go through. There will also be incentives for older employees to take early retirement.Source: Kathimerini.
Labor leader Kevin Rudd concedes defeat
Facebook Twitter: @NeosKosmos Instagram Kevin Rudd, leader of the Australian Labor Party, has conceded defeat.Moments ago, he called leader of the Liberal Party Tony Abbott, and conceded defeat, and welcomed Mr Abbott as the new prime minister of Australia. In his speech, Mr Rudd says he “gave it [his] all” but it wasn’t enough in the end. Mr Rudd, at this stage, looks set to retaining his seat in Queensland, Griffith. In closing he added that he will stand down as the leader of the opposition.
Greeks Gone Wild
Kefi Entertainment presents Greeks Gone Wild, a dance X-mas party, on Thursday 25 December 2014. The Arkaba Hotel Lounge gets into the holidays spirit and invites the Greek community of South Australia to dance to the beats selection of Kefi All Stars, Valandi, Vas, SKM, Souli and Haremi. Doors open at 9.00 pm and the entry is $15. The Greek DJs are armed with extra heavy CD cases and are prepared to stay on the dex till the early morning hours.When: Thursday 25 December 2014 Where: Arkaba Hotel, 150 Glen Osmond Road, Fullarton, SA Facebook Twitter: @NeosKosmos Instagram