A round-up of today's other stories in brief.

Solas network lets ill kids keep in touch

An online network for sick children was launched this week in Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Crumlin, in Dublin.

The Solas network has been developed by Trinity College's Centre for Health Informatics.

The project allows sick children to communicate with each other within the hospital and with their families through email, video conferencing and live chat over a secure internet environment.

Solas also allows children to create art and compose music in an online collaborative space.

Number using internet rises 10%

The number of people using the internet increased by 10 per cent last year to 747 million people, according to US digital measurement group ComScore Networks.

Usage in India by people over the age of 15 jumped by a third while China and Russia both boasted growth of more than 20 per cent.

"Internet usage outside the United States now accounts for 80 per cent of the world's online population," said ComScore Europe managing director Bob Ivins.

Energy system 'will cut costs'

UCD based incubator company Lightwave Technologies has launched a new energy management and control system for commercial buildings which, the company says, will dramatically reduce costs.

Lightwave founder Nicholas McNulty said the ICE system, developed by the NovaUCD-based company, could save companies up to 30 per cent on gas bills and 20 per cent on electricity usage.

The commercial launch of the product follows three years of research and development.