9BM. Torrevieja*8 1FC Barcelona Borges24 2Renovalia Ciudad Real22 3Reale Ademar20 8Naturhouse La Rioja8 5Fraikin Granollers*16 4Cuatro Rayas Valladolid16 12Cuenca 2016*7 6CAI BM. Aragón15 7Amaya Sport San Antonio*14 The end of fantastic story by Ciudad Real. After 67 consecutive wins in national ASOBAL, the biggest rival at national stage, F.C Barcelona defeated team of Talant Duyshebaev 27:24 (15:12) in the match of Round 12. Juanin Garcia was the leader of winning team with 12 goals and also brilliant game had goalkepper, Danijel Sarić. After two years, someone else is at the TOP of ASOBAL. ASOBALBM Ciudad RealF.C Barcelona 16Lábaro Toledo BM*2 13J.D. Arrate*6 10e-gym BM. Antequera*8 15BM Alcobendas5 14Alser-BM Puerto Sagunto6 11Quabit BM Guadalajara*7 ← Previous Story Brazilian Chana Masson until 2013 in Randers HK Next Story → The best goalkeeper ever, Thierry Omeyer: “Bašić was my inspiration”
Great Britain wins in the first match at the Olympic Handball Arena
← Previous Story Captain stays with his Team, Vedran Zrnic in VfL Gummersbach until 2015 Next Story → Polish League (Round 12): Poor Wisla lose in Olsztyn! GREAT Britain made a thrilling start to their London Handball Cup campaign, beating African Champions Angola 22-20 in their first match at the Olympic Handball Arena on Wednesday afternoon.With Sports Minister Hugh Robertson in attendance, GB dug deep and had to battle back from three goals down to take the points.Warrington’s Holly Lam-Moores and Kathryn Fudge from Bury teamed up as joint top scorers with four goals each, and it was Fudge who scored the first goal after just a few seconds of the match which helped GB open up a three-nil lead just three minutes in and leave the Angolans on the back foot.The Africans battled back to 11-11 at half time and led by the odd goal at various times during the second half, but Great Britain kept their cool and chipped away at the lead.Leading by one goal, a GB timeout helped the clock tick down, and a penalty in the final 30 seconds from Britt Goodwin sparked celebrations in the 1,000-plus crowd as Great Britain were finally assured of victory.After the win, a delighted coach Jesper Holmris said: “It was a great performance in a great arena, so it’s been a good day for us. Home advantage is always a big advantage.“It’s the first time we played an African nation and they are African champions, so it was good for us to see we can compete against them – and there are still nine months to go before the Olympic games.”In other action on Wednesday, China scraped past Slovakia 26-28.The competition continues on Thursday with China playing Poland at 10.30am, while Angola take on Austria at 1pm.Great Britain’s next match is on Friday at 10.30am when they play Austria.PHOTO: MICHELE DAVISON
BORING BARCA Karabatic and Co with 16 over newcomers
16Villa de Aranda Top Ribera1 6Helvetia Anaitasuna5 2Fraikin BM Granollers10 11Fertiberia Puerto Sagunto4 4Frigoríficos Morrazo Cangas7 9Juanfersa Grupo Fegar5 10Globalcaja C. Encantada5 13BM Guadalajara3 12BM. Aragón3 ASOBALBarcelonaBarcelona handballhandball 5Reale Ademar León6 ← Previous Story FRENCH DERBY: PSG beat Montpellier! Next Story → SEHA GAZPROM SSL (Round 5): Zagreb defeated in Belarus – No more teams with 100%! 8BM. Huesca5 14Ángel Ximénez Puente Genil3 1FC Barcelona10 15Bidasoa Irún1 7Cuatro Rayas Valladolid5 FC Barcelona Intersport having just easy trainings from match to match at the domestic ASOBAL. Once again we saw boring match in which Barca beat unknown Puente Genil 39:23 (20:9). Nikola Karabatic was the top scorer with seven goals, while Kiril Lazarov has scored one less…39. Barcelona (20+19): Saric, Sorhaindo (1), Ariño (3), Gurbindo (3), Morros, Karabatic (7, 1p), Saubich (2) -equipo inicial-, Noddesbo (3), García (6), Sarmiento (1), Rutenka (4, 1p), Balaguer (3), Lazarov (6, 1p) y Sterbik (p.s).23. Ángel Ximénez Puente Genil (9+14): Chirosa, Olea, Jorge (1), Moya (2), Cuenca (4), Sierra (4), Demovic (3) -equipo inicial-, Soto, Cubero, Curro (4), Baena (1), Fuentes (3), Porras (1) y Arguillas (p.s).STANDING: 3Naturhouse La Rioja7
Gasper Marguc on the Veszprems doors
One of the best young right wing in European handball, Slovenian left hander Gasper Marguc (24) is close to sign a deal with Hungarian TOP team MVM MKB Veszprem, finds out Handball-Planet.com. Marguc is currently the second scorer of the VELUX EHF CL with 59 goals from 9 matches. He is also a member of the Slovenian NT, alongside Dragan Gajic, who also was a target of Hungarian team, but he decided to stay in French Montpellier…Hungarians have two domestic players on the right wing position – Ivanscik and Gulyas, but also Serb Rajko Prodanovic who is on loan at Rhein Neckar Lowen.Photo: rk-celje.si Gasper MargucGasper Marguc veszpremhandball transfersrk celjeveszprem ← Previous Story VIDEO: KIF took second place in Plock Next Story → BEACH HANDBALL: Australian Championship played in Perth
VIDEO Lets hear some noise – Lets watch some TOP handball
Velux EHF Champions League Final4 ← Previous Story Mamdouh Ashem Shebib believes in Montpellier at Final4: This team has winning mentality Next Story → Thierry Anti knows who is the first favorite to win Final4: PSG, they are built to win this The ninth VELUX EHF Champions League Final4 officialy began with official presentation of the teams in front of 3.000 fans. Stage in front of Lanxess Arena was, once again, the meeting point of all the teams with thier fans, who enjoyed sunny afternoon in the city on Rhein river.All four teams covered by lovely voice of Anett Sattler shared some moments with the fans, threw some balls and made a selfie…“Let’s hear some noise”.Let’s enjoy some handball…
FAI considering the position of Trapattoni after Austria defeat
“Yesterday I say, if they give me an opportunity to continue with the next group, the next campaign I’m sure this team – because we change many players – can increase [in quality]. THE FAI HAVE tonight confirmed that they are considering Giovanni Trapattoni’s position as Ireland manager after the defeats to Sweden and Austria.Just over an hour after the 1-0 defeat in Vienna, the FAI released a statement, saying:“The recent results against Sweden and Austria were very disappointing for everyone involved in Irish football, the manager, the players and supporters.“Our aim of qualification, although mathematically possible, is now highly unlikely even though the team will always do everything within their power to keep that hope alive. The FAI Board of Management will now consider the current position over the coming days.”Earlier, the Italian had appeared to admit defeat in his quest to continue as Ireland manager beyond the 2014 World Cup when interviewed by RTE.Asked if it was time for him to part ways with the job he has held for five years, Trapattoni said:“It’s not my [decision]. Our jobs, the master is the FAI. “But it will be for another manager maybe.”Trapattoni put it to his interviewer, Tony O’Donoghue, that his opinion as a reporter is irrelevant and it is the FAI board who will make the decision. Asked if he wanted to continue in the job for the remaining qualification fixtures, the Italian said:“I don’t know, maybe they’re ready for another manager. I Don’t know. If they want me to continue [while] they decide what to do in this moment. I continue with 100% commitment.”Tomorrow’s scheduled press conference with Trapattoni has been cancelled amid reports that the association has already lined up a replacement.Late Alaba goal effectively ends Ireland’s World Cup hopesPlayer ratings: Here’s how the Ireland team rated against Austria tonight
Potential infertility cure stem cells create viable eggs in mice
JAPANESE RESEARCHERS HAVE discovered a potential cure for some forms of infertility by using stem cells to create viable eggs in living mice, a study has found.While the method is far from being ready for possible human use, it did overcome a key challenge in reproductive medicine: how to construct viable eggs for women incapable of producing their own.It builds on a study published last year in which the same researchers coaxed stem cells into viable sperm.The researchers at Kyoto University tinkered with a few genes in the stem cells and turned them into cells which were very similar to the primordial germ cells which generate sperm in men and oocytes – or eggs – in women.They then created a “reconstituted ovary” which they transplanted into living mice, where the cells matured into fully-grown oocytes.They extracted the matured oocytes, fertilized them in vitro, and then implanted them into foster mother mice.The mice pups were born healthy and were even able to reproduce once they matured.“Our system serves as a robust foundation to investigate and further reconstitute female germline development in vitro, not only in mice, but also in other mammals, including humans,” lead author Katsuhiko Hayashi wrote.The study was published in the journal Science today.
French and American scientists win Nobel Physics Prize
SERGE HAROCHE OF France and David Wineland of the US have won the Nobel Prize for Physics today for their work in quantum physics that could one day open the way to revolutionary computers.The pair were honoured for pioneering optical experiments in “measuring and manipulation of individual quantum systems,” the Nobel Physics jury said in its citation.“Their groundbreaking methods have enabled this field of research to take the very first steps towards building a new type of super-fast computer based on quantum physics,” it said.“Perhaps the quantum computer will change our everyday lives in this century in the same radical way as the classical computer did in the last century.”The research has also led to the construction of extremely precise clocks that could become the future basis for a new standard of time, with more than hundred-fold greater precision than present-day caesium clocks, it said.Haroche, 68, said the award was “fairly overwhelming”.“I was in the street, passing near a bench, and was able to sit down immediately,” he told journalists via a live link to Stockholm.“I was walking with my wife, when I saw the Swedish area code, I realised.” He added:I think we will have champagne. The two scientists specialise in quantum entanglement, a phenomenon of particle physics that has been proven by experiments but remains poorly understood.When two particles interact, they become “entangled,” which means one particle affects the other at a distance. The connection lasts long after they are separated.In entanglement, particles also go into a state called superposition, which opens the way to a hoped-for supercomputer.Today’s computers use a binary code, in which data is stored in a bit that could be either zero or 1.But in superposition, a quantum bit, known as a qubit, could be either zero or one, or both zero and one at the same time.This potentially offers a massive increase in data storage, greatly helping number-crunching tasks such as running climate-change models and breaking encrypted codes.However many technical hurdles remain to be overcome.Haroche and Wineland’s achievement has been to measure and control these very fragile quantum states, which were previously deemed inaccessible, so that the particles can be observed and counted, the jury said.- © AFP, 2012Read: Pioneering stem cell work wins Nobel Prize for researchers > Read: Nobel Prize season kicks off with medicine award >
The 5 at 5 Friday
EVERY WEEKDAY EVENING, TheJournal.ie brings you the five stories you need to know as you head out the door.1. #TRAGIC: A Louth haulage company has been fined €25,000 after pleading guilty to a breach of legislation which resulted in the death of a toddler in 2009. Dundalk Circuit Court imposed the fine on Patrick Monahan (Drogheda) Ltd after a three-year-old was killed when he was struck by a falling pole.2. #WATERFORD: Gardaí have discovered a woman’s body in Waterford – the second separate discovery of a body in the city today. The woman, in her 20s, was found in a house in Grange Cohan at about 8am – but Gardaí say there appears to be no connection to an earlier incident where a man’s body was found at St Herblain Park at 1am.3. #CHEESE: The Broadcasting Authority has published new rules concerning advertising food and drink with high salt, fat and sugar content to children – but given an exemption for cheese, which had originally been earmarked amid great controversy. The dairy industry has welcomed the move.4. #NOBEL PRIZE: You’ll have to make some room on your mantlepiece: you just won a Nobel Prize. The European Union has won the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize for its work in transforming Europe over six decades and all but eliminating the prospect of war between its nations. Don’t go spending your winnings immediately though – because you won’t get much cash for the prize. As for how we won it? Well, it might have something to do with chocolate.5. #RISE AND SHINE: One of Ireland’s most popular broadcasters is moving. Ray Foley is leaving Today FM’s midday slot to take up a new gig hosting the breakfast show on Dublin’s 98FM, a stablemate of Today FM’s under Denis O’Brien’s Communicorp umbrella. Foley previously worked for the station before moving to Today FM in 2004.
Telephone allowance maternity benefit and medical cards hit hard in Budget
THE GOVERNMENT IS to target pensioners, sick people and pregnant women as part of its range of social welfare and health cuts unveiled in today’s Budget.Minister for Public Expenditure Brendan Howlin said there will be no reduction in basic social welfare rates for people of working age or pensioners.However other measures will see the telephone allowance for older people discontinued from 1 January, which Minister Howlin said will save €44 million.Jobseeker’s Allowance is to be decreased to €100 for people aged 24 and under who are new claimants from the start of next year. Another reduced rate of €144 will apply to jobseekers who reach 25 fro January next year.Maternity benefit is to be standardised at €230 per week from January for new claimants, while the number of days before illness benefit is paid by government to employers for sick employees is to increase from 3 days to 6 days.Separately, under the aegis of the Department of Health, a review is to be carried out of all medical cards to look for any people who may be ineligible for their cards, or any cards which are now redundant. Minister Howlin said he expects the Government to claw back €113 million from the review.The announcement of the medical card review was greeted with jeers from members of the opposition parties.Prescription charges – which were originally introduced several years ago and were set at 50c per item before rising to €1.50 – are to increase to €2.50 per item, with a monthly cap of €25 per family.In response, Minister Howlin emphasised that social welfare benefits, including child benefit rates and the fuel allowance, will not be cut.A helpline for older people has said that abolishing the telephone allowance will heighten the isolation of older people and reduce their quality of life.“The ability to phone family and friends is an important link,” said Anne Dempsey of Senior Help Line. “This cut will drive people into further isolation, will contribute to greater stress on our health services and will ultimately cost more money than it will save.”The total cuts in the Department of Social Protection will total €290 million this year.Liveblog: Budget 2014 as it happens >
HSE used military ambulances over 800 times to meet additional demand
“I must state that I do not question the qualifications of anyone in the Defence forces” he added, “but as a tax payer I question when these decisions were made and the types of calls the Army answer”.The parliamentary question asked how many times “the ambulance service in the Curragh Camp was called to work outside the camp in the past three years”, and revealed that on 323 occasions Defence Forces ambulances were used by the HSE in 2011, 207 in 2012, and 274 this year to date.Ambulances were also used on a total of 224 occasions outside of the camp by the Defence Forces to transport their own military personal to and from hospital and to attend training exercises.Cutbacks forced the closure for certain time periods of ambulance stations in Maynooth two months ago, something which local TD Catherine Murphy called “extremely alarming”.This also affected areas of Tallaght and Swords in Dublin, with Tallaght closing between 7am and 7pm on Mondays.The HSE said these stations would be serviced by by crews from adjacent locations when closed.Read: Ambulance cuts “will cause fatalities” >More: National targets for ambulance response times to be abandoned > CONCERNS HAVE BEEN raised over the repeated use of Defence Forces ambulances by the HSE.A parliamentary question by Sinn Féin TD Seán Crowe to Minister for Justice Alan Shatter revealed that on 804 occasions Defence Forces ambulances from the Curragh Camp, County Kildare, were used by the National Ambulance Service to “meet additional demands on its services in the locality”.He added that this occurs through “local arrangements between the HSE and the Military authorities”.Local councillor Thomas Redmond called on the HSE to clarify it uses of the ambulances.“My question is why are the managers not investing and forcing the defence forces to do HSE employees work” he said.I find it staggering the army ambulances are being used when there is currently an embargo on HSE workers and when staffing issues in the HSE are dangerously low. I am also at odds to know the exact deal that was done the types of calls and the future plans for using the ambulance service.
Giant statue of Nelson Mandela goes up in Pretoria
Image: AP Photo/John RobinsonThis one is at Cape Town:Image: AP Photo/Nardus EngelbrechtVisitors mimic the pose of this Mandela statue outside the Groot Drakenstein correctional facility near the town of Franschhoek, South Africa:Image: AP Photo/Schalk van ZuydamAnd, of course, a bust of Mandela is watchful at the entrance to Robben Island ferry departure point at the V&A waterfront in Cape Town:Image: AP Photo/Schalk van ZuydamMandela’s body lying in state after solemn journey through Pretoria>The equality struggle didn’t end with Mandela’s prison release – and it must continue> Image: AP Photo/Tsvangirayi MukwazhiThere are already a number of dedicated monuments to Mandela in his homeland including this statue at Nelson Mandela square in Sandton, Johannesburg:Image: AP Photo/Tsvangirayi MukwazhiThis statue depicts Mandela through a series of bevelled posts – it stands near Howick in South Africa: Image: AP Photo/Tsvangirayi MukwazhiAS THE BODY of Nelson Mandela lies in state for the third and final day ahead of his funeral on Sunday, a more permanent tribute to the founding father of the ‘Rainbow Nation’ is raised in Pretoria.The giant statue of the former South Africa president, referred to affectionately as Madiba, will stand in front of the Union buildings.
Charity appeals for your unwanted Christmas gifts
DUBLIN’S PRO CATHEDRAL is asking people to keep the spirit of giving going beyond Christmas.Staff at St. Mary’s Cathedral are urging people not to exchange unwanted Christmas gifts this week – but to donate them to Crosscare who will give them to those most in need, young people living on the margins and the homeless.Any surplus gifts, that were not needed for people in need, were sold during the year in Crosscare’s, Blanchardstown service, and the money raised given back to the homeless services for essential supplies.Father Damien O Reilly, administrator in the Pro Cathedral, said they were delighted to be able to facilitate the appeal which every year resulted in those most in need receiving some Christmas cheer.“This simple scheme allows Crosscare to give a gift to someone in their services who would not normally receive one, he said, “it is also a reminder to us all of how we can get needlessly caught up in wasteful commercialism at this time of year.”He stressed that Pope Francis has consistently preached about the need to control waste in our world – using gifts you don’t need to give to those who have little, is one small gesture of sharing that can help, he says.The unwanted gifts appeal will make sure that as well as the essentials, people who are struggling with life, will get a small token of cheer each Christmas. Unwanted presents can be brought to the crib in the Cathedral until 6 January.Read: Childline responded to 1,450 calls, texts and messages on Christmas DayRead: This online forum helps strangers save Christmas for children in need
Seven jobseekers killed in Nigeria stadium stampede
AT LEAST SEVEN people have been killed and dozens injured in Nigeria’s capital after thousands of panicked job-seekers stampeded during a government recruitment drive in the national stadium.Survivors told AFP that thousands had gathered to apply for jobs with the immigration department in the Abuja stadium.One witness said the stampede broke out as applicants surged towards a central stage. They said only one entrance to the 60,000-capacity stadium was open. It wasn’t clear how many people were inside at the time of the crush.“The immigration service was having a recruitment exercise at the stadium … there was a stampede and they brought the victims to the national hospital,” said hospital spokesman Tayo Haastrup.No official casualty list was given, but an AFP journalist on the scene counted seven dead and dozens injured.Many injured people could not be admitted to hospital due to lack of capacity.Those with stable injuries “will be sent to other hospitals so that we can deal with the numerous injured that continue to arrive,” said Haastrup.- © AFP, 2014Read: Disappearance of missing Malaysian jet appears ‘deliberate’Read: Two Ukrainians killed on eve of Crimea breakaway vote
Nick Leeson Ive observed the need for debt solution – now Im
THE LAST TIME I wrote for TheJournal.ie, I addressed my concerns that the crisis in banking was continuing to cause us all stress and concern.My new appointment, as a principal of GDP Partnership, a debt solution agency with new offices in Dublin, puts me in the position of addressing those concerns. In many ways it was a natural progression from observing and writing about the problems to actually trying to do something about them.Financial difficulties are most often the hardest to deal with, they embarrass, overwhelm and push people into corners quite unlike any other form of problem that we face in our lifetime. I’ve witnessed this on many occasions – as well as experiencing my own difficulties many many years ago. They will never go away. They have to be dealt with.The normal course of events sees people struggling to cope and, more often than not, failing quite miserably. It’s a problem that has existed equally as long as the world of Finance: wherever there is lending, there is difficulty in repaying and ultimately an amount of default. So what we are currently experiencing is nothing new, what is new is the widespread nature of the debt problem and, like you and I, the banks themselves have never experienced such an enormity of a problem.There are solutionsHowever, there are solutions. The problem is that not everyone understands the problems and rather more worryingly, some of the misinformation and the sensational way that the small amount of information is reported causes further distress, rather than reducing the enormous pressure that everyone is already under. That is where a mediation service like the one I am working with can help, by engaging and communicating with the lender on your behalf and presenting solutions that will allow both parties to move forward.It never ceases to amaze me listening to a number of economists and financial journalists who fail to understand the depth and scale of this issue. I am in no doubt that the island of Ireland, north and south, will not move forward economically until we deal with the debt problems facing the country. We have way too much debt in our society right now, from sovereign debt, to SME debt, to personal debt.The favoured sovereign solution seems to be to kick the debt down the road over a longer period of time. Some might agree this is the best solution however it wouldn’t be my preference. From an SME point of view, I would suggest if you offered any CEO in the country an extended 20 years or so on their debt they would bite your arm off – I doubt there is any bank in Ireland in this space so that’s not an option.There is a lot of bad advice out thereFrom a personal debt perspective, there is new legislation out this year in the Republic, and it is hoped that the new rules will be the answer to the debt problems out there. I suspect it won’t be that straightforward in practice as there is a lot of bad advice out there. Many people are fast-forwarding in the direction of the insolvency and bankruptcy option, I still maintain that this should and can be avoided in most circumstances.The Central Bank came out this week in Ireland to say that SMEs had some €50bn of debt and more than half of this was impaired. The huge concern from the Central Bank’s perspective is that the majority of this debt is property-related. This is a major cause for concern for everyone. The lack of progress Irish banks are making in terms of dealing with these problems is now under scrutiny from the IMF and the Central Bank. Our view at GDP is that both borrower and bank need to fully engage and mediate a solution to each of the loan books under pressure. I feel that we can no longer sit back and expect the whole thing to blow over – it’s just not an option. There will be pain on both sides, and facts remain that until we sort these issues the economy is in a spiral.Banks have their own policies in dealing with these matters and interestingly these vary greatly depending on the institution. Our practice has been making huge in roads on behalf of borrowers with our very unique approach to dealing with the debt problem in recent times and we would hope that as time moves on, the banks become more co-operative and transparent so that we can all arrive at the solutions much quicker.The short to medium term for Ireland looks extremely challenging. However, I would prefer to approach this as an opportunity to solve the many issues that are currently out there.For more information or to receive a monthly e-zine, please contact info@gdpni.ieNick Leeson: The banks don’t care so we need to look after each other>Read all of Nick Leeson’s columns here>
DIY Google wants you to create a VR headset using cardboard
Source: Google DevelopersWhile you’re really just looking at an Android phone, the Cardboard app splits the screen into two, one for each eye, to give the impression that you’re using VR. A number of tech demos on the Chrome mobile browser are also provided to show off its capabilities.While it might seem silly that Google is experimenting with this, there’s a greater purpose behind it.If developers experiment and are able to come up with ways to use cheap Android devices to create a VR quality experiences, it will help drive the price of VR headsets down. That would be a win for Google and would put rivals like Oculus VR, Sony and Samsung on the back foot.Also, the introduction of Android One, aiming at developing high-quality phones at low cost for people in developing markets, could help push such the experiment further if it is successful.For now though, it’s purely an experiment that could easily disappear in a few months time. If you do decide to create your own, just make sure you’re using strong cardboard and not that from a cereal box.Read: Google takes another shot at invading the living room with Android TV >Read: Google’s new Android update is brighter and bolder than ever before > GOOGLE HAS VIRTUAL reality in its sights, and it comes in the form of a cardboard box.Not content with handing out all the developers at its conference an Android Wear watch, both a LG G Watch or Samsung Gear Live and a Moto 360, it also provided them with a fold-out cardboard box.The cardboard box is part of an experiment from Google, which wants to see if a VR headset can be created using inexpensive materials. The only expensive product you will need is an Android phone running Jelly Bean or KitKat as it’s placed inside the cardboard headset.The headset can be created by anyone, provided they have cardboard, lenses, magnets, Velcro, and rubber bands. You can also include an NFC tag if you want to trigger the Cardboard app on your phone automatically.
PAC told they cant force Flannery and Kerins to come before it
THE DAIL’S PUBLIC Accounts Committee has been told that it can’t force two former Rehab CEOs to appear before it.The Committee on Procedure and Privileges today declined to give PAC permission to compel Angela Kerins and Frank Flannery to attend a public hearing.The CPP said it received legal advice which formed the view that, “It is only empowered to proceed with the examination of an account audited or report prepared by the Comptroller and Auditor General.”Rehab is not audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General and so it was stated by CPP that, “PAC does not have the legal authority to examine the use of public monies by the Rehab Group.”The PAC had argued that Rehab was using public money to subsidise itself.Both Flannery and Kerins refused to appear before the committee in April when TDs wanted to question them over their use of public funds.However, the CPP did agree to give PAC the power to force three other individuals to appear in relation to a separate investigation over a HSE training fund.Read: PAC will be discussing the CRC today, but who is going to turn up?>
Sony latest Cybershot cameras with Full HD and plenty of zoom
If you like your cameras with plenty of zoom then Sony may have just the ticket as they have unveiled two new 16.2-MP Cyber-shot cameras with FULL HD video recording.First up you have the DSC-HX100V which packs in a 27mm Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonar T lens with a large 30x optical zoom. It can also shoot video at FULL HD (1920 x 1080) at up to 60fps and take 3D content using its 3D Sweep Panorama/3D Still Image modes.AdChoices广告The slightly smaller DSC-HX9V offers a similar spec but is lighter and has 16x optical zoom with a 24mm wide angle lens.What seems like a great feature is that both cameras have Sony’s new dual record mode which allows you to shoot both video and 3MP stills at the same time. Additionally, you have a GPS/Compass function that captures location and shooting direction for each shot.The Cybershot cameras will be out in April and will cost $450 for the DSC-HX100V and $350 for the DSC-HX9V.Read more via PR Newswire
GameStop buys Steam rival Impulse and Spawn Labs
Of the big three forms of entertainment we all use, music went digital first, and now video and games are slowly making the move too. Gamers know it, game publishers know it, and retailers are beginning to realize it.GameStop has decided to react and try and secure its future in the digital space by acquiring the Impulse digital games download service from Stardock as well as streaming tech company Spawn Labs.Although it’s nowhere near as popular as Valve’s Steam service, Impulse does already hold a 10% share of the digital games market. Just as importantly for GameStop, it is already live and making money so the retailer has a platform it can build on with little development investment required.Spawn Labs offers a different view on digital games. The company’s focus is on streaming and virtualization technology. GameStop states that Spawn is working on a solution for playing games on any Internet-enabled device, suggesting OnLive may be getting a new rival in the future branded with the GameStop name.The two acquisitions combined should allow GameStop to offer games across the board through its shops, through the mail from its online store, and now via digital distribution, and eventually game streaming too.Read more at the GameStop press release, via Gamesindustry.bizMatthew’s OpinionThese are both intelligent buys for GameStop for the future. Impulse is an already established service that GameStop can throw some money at and help it grow beyond that 10% market share. It needs to be a brand as recognized as Steam if it intends to compete.As for Spawn Labs, that’s certainly a forward-looking acquisition, and one that’s probably been spurned by the good press OnLive has been getting. GameStop knows that relying on boxed-copy game sales isn’t going to bring in the same level of profits indefinitely, and whose to say future consoles will even have a disc slot in them? So creating a digital platform now makes a lot of sense.Whether both acquisitions pan out for the company depends on how GameStop handles the companies. Impulse needs a more hands-on approach and the experience GameStop brings from selling games for years. Spawn Labs looks like it should be left alone to get on with the tech for the time being.
The Elder Scrolls V Skyrim is too big to have a demo
The video above gives an interesting interview with Craig Lafferty, lead producer working on The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim at Bethesda.During the interview we get to see a load of in-game footage and a bunch of information from Lafferty about how the game is being developed and what we should expect to be playing come November. However, there is one negative he brings up around the 4m40s mark: we won’t be getting a demo of Skyrim to play, ever.AdChoices广告Those who loved previous Elder Scrolls games will probably scoff knowing their pre-order is already logged with their games retailer of choice. But for gamers new to the series, a demo really helps when considering putting down $60 on an unknown title.In this case though, we can forgive Bethesda for not supplying one. The reason Lafferty gives for there being no demo is purely down to the sheer size and complexity of the game. To ship a demo would mean gigabytes of data being uploaded by them and then downloaded to PSN, Xbox Live, and on their own web servers for PC games. It’s just too big to make it feasible. On the flip side, that size will most likely translate into many hours lost exploring in the massive Skyrim world.So while big downloads of demos or otherwise are not going to happen, Lafferty has confirmed there will be DLC. In fact, he states in the interview that he doesn’t want to talk too much about what they left out of the game as that content usually appears later. That to me hints at multiple DLC packs with some worthwhile content and features unlocked at a later date.Even though there’s no demo, we are bound to see a lot of HD gameplay footage appearing from Bethesda over the coming months. The official release date is set as 11.11.11 and you can already pre-order your copy.via Gameplanet