A glance at the week that was
Helmet hurled
Lidl has become famous not just for its cheap groceries, but for its interesting specialist offers - such as diving gear or horse blankets - but this week it came under scrutiny after a hurling helmet failed to meet safety standards. Its Pro-Guard helmet has been recalled, with Lidl placing a public notice in papers, announcing: "Please cease from using this product immediately."
The company had previously claimed it was fully compliant with the official safety standards.
Data dropped
Of all the things the Data Protection Commission would like to protect, surely its own information is top of the list. Unfortunately, the well-known blogger Damien Mulley easily found its annual report on its website before it was due to be released. So, while there were several complaints against large companies, including Sky, Aer Lingus, Tesco and Eircom, the leak led to Data Protection Commissioner Billy Hawkes fielding questions about his agency's own slip-up. It was, he said, a "wonderful illustration" of the problems that exist.
We now know
Breastfeeding boosts a child's IQ, claim Canadian scientists, but they don't know if this is due to the milk itself, the bond formed during feeding, or other societal factors.
The numbers
€18The price of checking bags onto short-haul Aer Lingus flights, if done at the airport
261The number of car owners told by the Department of Transport that their vehicles were previously classified as "write-offs"
$110mThe amount file-sharing site TorrentSpy has been ordered to pay the Motion Picture Association of America for copyright infringement. The site facilitates free downloads of movies