A roundup of today's other technology news in brief
Verizon official meets Dublin developers
Verizon Wireless, the largest mobile-phone network in the US, has been meeting software developers in Dublin this week to encourage them to consider developing applications for its subscribers.
Verizon has 88 million subscribers and has launched an online application store for its customers who use BlackBerry devices. Verizon director of new business development Aditya Khurjekar said it would soon expand its online store to sell software for other platforms. Enterprise Ireland, which facilitated the visit, last night arranged an informal gathering for 40 developers and Mr Khurjekar.
Weak demand hits profits at GameStop
GameStop, the world’s largest video-game retailer, reported second-quarter profit that missed analysts’ estimates and cut its full-year forecast, citing weak demand in the recession and lack of new titles.
Net income fell to $38.7 million (€27.17 million) in the three months to August 1st, from $57.2 million a year earlier. GameStop has 57 stores in Ireland and Britain.
Hostelworld adds travel shop to site
Hostelworld.com, an online reservations service for hostels and budget accommodation, has added a travel shop to its site offering guidebooks, travel insurance, mobile-phone Sim cards and event tickets. The website, owned by Dublin- based Web Reservations International, has signed deals with companies such as Lonely Planet, Cubic Telecom, World Nomads and Viagogo.
TCD to host software conference
More than 1,000 software developers are expected to attend the three-day Epicenter conference at Trinity College College next week.
Described as a “three-day celebration of the Irish software industry”, the event will feature keynotes from Colm Mulcahy, a pioneer of the cloud computing model in Ireland and chief executive of Saaspoint; Prof Barry Smyth, co-founder of ChangingWorlds; and Jennifer Condon, head of Enterprise Ireland’s software division. About 80 sessions are planned, covering web, Microsoft, Java, open-source and database technologies. For details see http://epicenter.ie.
MySpace buys iLike for undisclosed sum
News Corp’s MySpace has agreed to buy music recommendation service iLike, as the social networking site tries to reinvent itself as an entertainment portal.
MySpace declined to disclose financial terms of an acquisition that brings iLike’s twin brother founders, Ali and Hadi Partovi, and Nat Brown into the My- Space fold. The site was backed by venture capital funds and Ticketmaster Entertainment.
Several blogs reported earlier in the week that iLike would be bought by MySpace for about $20 million (€14 million).
