Offer will be based on the UPC model.
sky broadbandAbout two weeks ago the inevitable happened. Sky joined the broadband club in Ireland. It’s based on Eircom’s phone lines and will offer an up to 24 mega-bits-per second service (1 Mbs up-load speed) and you get a choice of either unlimited data or a 2GB monthly cap.
With those speeds Sky is not targeting UPC which offers an entry level of 50Mbs. Its aim is Eircom and Vodaphone although it is using the UPC model.
In essence Sky is saying: If you already receive our TV, why not get your broadband as well and have just one bill and company to deal with.
It has an estimated customer base in Ireland of around 700,000, many of whom buy their broadband from either Eircom, Vodaphone, Magnet and a host of companies who use Eircom’s phone lines.
UPC has come from nowhere and has already captured 300,000 subscribers in just four years. So the UPC model works.
Over the last few years Sky has gained a significant amount of television customers in Ireland at the expense of UPC. However as the only fixed line operator to show any real customer additions, year on year, UPC is killing its rivals in the marketplace due to services that cannot be matched for speed. Both Eircom and Magnet offer high speed alternatives but there geographical spread is very limited compared to UPC.
And it’s because most UPC broadband customers are also UPC TV customers as well it makes sense for SKY to emulate this model, given its huge market penetration.
One or two details are still not forthcoming from Sky. There is no confirmation about contention levels which is the performance of its broadband service when there are many users in the same area using the internet at the same time.
Sky is using the same explanation as Eircom and instead talks about’ bandwith ‘management, a side stepping tactic which the normal man in the street will not comprehend.
But there is a downside for SKY. Because it is using Eircom’s service people living in rural areas will have the same problem as before which is the limitation of that service. In most remote areas, Eircom’s fixed line network can’t accommodate broadband.
The company’s new offering is part of an increasing presence in the Irish market where it is in the process of increasing its overall employment figures in Ireland to nearly 900.In 2012 it employed 60 people directly.
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The main changes to be released in the Finance Bill.
Michael NoonanIn a few days time we will all learn the fine details of Irish Finance Minister, Michael Noonan’s Budget 2013 as the Finance bill will put meat on the bones of his budget proposals.
Here are some of the main points.
1/
Property Tax:
Anyone who owns property will have to pay 0.18 per cent on their homes value, based on a ‘bands’system. Those with properties worth over €1 million will see the charge rise to 0.25 per cent. There will be some exemptions such as first time buyers in 2013.It will be a local property tax which means that the way it will be calculated is going to cause inequality in places where property is more expensive.
2/
Tax reform plan for SME’s:
The Finance bill contains details on reforming corporate tax relief for start-up companies, amendments to the R&D tax credit system as well as an extension of the foreign earnings deduction to additional countries.
3/
PRSI changes:
The big one! Abolition of the PRSI free allowance. This exempted the first €127 of income from PRSI. Now it will generate significant revenue for the Irish government and should mean that the average person will pay an additional €20 per month.
4/
Capital taxation changes:
The rates of deposit interest retention tax (DIRT), capital acquisitions tax (CAT) as well as capital gains tax (CGT) all will now start at 33 per cent. In particular, DIRT has now increased by 65 per cent since 2008.
5/
Cuts in Welfare:
A tax on maternity benefits as well as an announcement that child benefits would be cut further.
6/
The old reliables:
An extra €1 in excise duty on wine and 10 cents on your pint.
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Finance committee wants report end of first quarter.
Central Bank IrelandReports suggest that the Irish Central Bank has until the end of March at which stage it has to provide the government with a comprehensive report on what specific targets it has set lenders regarding mortgage arrears.
The Oireachtas (Irish parliament) finance committee requested that the Central Bank provide a report at the end of the first quarter detailing how the regulator is monitoring financial institutions approach to mortgage arrears, particularly the level of engagement with institutions and what enforcement action is being taken.
Concerns have been raised as well about proposals which would allow banks to make unsolicited personal visits to the homes of people who are in arrears where they have been unable to contact them.
A spokesperson for the Money Advice and Budgeting Service (Mabs) is quoted as saying that “allowing such visits could put too much pressure on vulnerable consumers”.
The governor of the Central Bank Patrick Honohan has already stated to the finance committee that the targets are to simplistic an approach. His view is that an over-reliance on them simply encourages banks to “meet these in a way that does not deliver the goods”.
However, the new personal insolvency legislation which is supposed to come into effect sometime later this year would also mean that financial institutions would have to make permanent restructuring arrangements in the case of failing to reach agreements with defaulters. This would mean going through a process where they will not have the same control as they have presently.
So it remains to be seen how all this will pan out over the coming months. One thing is certain. Hard pressed borrowers are feeling a chill wind right now and banks (who caused most of the problem in the first place) need to use their heads because you can’t get blood out of a stone. The government needs to understand that as well.
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We did a lot of things this year.
hard workWhat a year! A lot of hard work went on at DPNlive and it paid off. Although we still concentrate a huge amount of effort on digital print news, the online magazine has expanded to cover so much more. Why, because you seem to like our other categories and sections from Life & Style, Arts & Entertainment, Business & Finance, Technology & Science, even down to music.
And the number of hits we are getting on these broader sections is amazing.
We have regular contributors from the USA, UK, Europe, even as far away as Africa.
However for 2013 we would like to invite people/companies in Ireland to get more involved with DPNlive because the reason we started the whole thing in the first place was to make the online site interactive. People outside this country have no hesitation in voicing their views and we welcome everyone of them.
But Irish people seem a little shy when it comes to expressing their opinions on articles or even making comments on our Forum.
DPNlive is there to help, promote and bring you all the latest news from Ireland and the world on Digital Print as well as many other areas of interest.
If you are registered on the site then leave a comment about any article you have read, good or bad. We don’t mind.
Send us in your news and we will publish it. Send us in anything you want promoted and we guarantee to offer you innovative promotional platforms at prices that can’t be beaten anywhere.
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Or just go to the online magazine and enjoy the articles www.dpnlive.com
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Theme of the promotion is:
Power to celebrate.
Pictured for the launch of Canon’s latest Cashback scheme is model Nadia FordeCanon Ireland has announced details of its latest offers on selected DSLRs, lenses, accessories, compact cameras and inkjet printers.
The company said it’s their biggest ever cash back promotion with savings of up to €60 on selected D-SLR cameras such as the EOS M, the EOS1100D, the EOS 600D and EOS 650D and will run until Thursday 18th January 2013
Apart from the cash back saving scheme Canon is also offering an Essential Photographers Kit with every D-SLR purchased worth €280. This includes a camera reference book, a photography training DVD, a photography training course, a shoulder bag and an 8GB memory card.
Canon is also giving customers a €35 cash back with select purchases of Canon compact cameras such as the IXUS 240 HS and the IXUS 500 HS or the PowerShot SX240 HS and the PowerSHot SX500 IS. Additionally, customers can get a complimentary camera case and 4GB memory card with selected compact cameras.
The free accessories offer runs from 1st November to 31st December.
The Canon Cash back scheme also extends to LEGRIA camcorders with up to €60 cash back along with a full day video training course worth €250, plus accessories and software on selected models.
There are also up to €35 cash back on selected PIXMA models and savings of up to €200 can be made on selected lenses and accessories.
For further details and full terms and conditions please visit www.canon.ie
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Product development process reduced by weeks
3D model – printed in multiple materials, all in a single build on the Objet Connex 3D PrinterNorthern Ireland based Whale, a water pump and heating system manufacturer announced that the company has shown an increase in new business following the purchase of an Objet Connex multi-material 3D Printer. It added that the introduction of the new 3D printer has allowed it to prototype design concepts with total accuracy and undertake robust testing using watertight digital materials. This has resulted in helping Whale to bring its products to market quicker than ever before.
"We saw Objet Connex multi-material technology as a means to provide a broad capability," commented Richard Bovill, Whale Design Engineering Manager. "The range of materials from rigid to rubber gives us a great advantage when recreating production parts, especially the water tight material, as it allows us to carry out robust tests that can reduce the product development process by weeks or even months."
Over the past three years Whale has issued 15 worldwide design patents, a testimony to its culture of innovation throughout the business, where it supplies high quality products to the marine, caravan and motor home, shower drainage and industrial markets. A critical reason for the new investment was the company’s determination to maintain its leadership in these markets. The addition of an Objet Connex 3D Printer to its portfolio of rapid prototyping solutions has now allowed Whale to expand its capabilities when designing new products and making improvements to current solutions.
"Using Objet Connex multi-material technology we can now produce rubber, over-moulded, transparent and waterproof models, allowing us to recreate design faults and identify ways we can improve our products in a much more cost effective and timely manner," said Managing Director Patrick Hurst. "This has enabled us to increase our existing business and create new business opportunities, whilst maintaining the level of innovation our customers are accustomed to."
With the Objet Connex multi-material 3D Printer currently in operation 24 hours a day, Whale are using a large variety of materials to deal with the demand and diversity of its customer's design projects.
"Having such a wide range of shore hardness and the ability to print rubber parts, means that it is like having three machines in one. We can now deliver our customers a finished high quality model in as little as 24 hours," concluded Hurst.
Whale purchased the Objet Connex 3D Printer through Objet UK distributor HK Rapid Prototyping who’s Sales Director Nigel Bunt added: "The Objet Connex provided Whale the ideal solution for their product design projects. Whale has now become more flexible and thus increased its workflow capacity."
http://www.whalepumps.com/
- Video: Objet Connex Multi-Material 3D Printing Technology
- Video: Objet260 Connex in Action
- Objet Connex350
Objet Clear Transparent Material
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1/
3D model – printed in multiple materials, all in a single build on the Objet Connex 3D Printer
According to sources familiar with the process, the forthcoming Irish property tax will not be introduced until the middle of 2013.
The details will be will be announced in the forthcoming budget but indications suggest that the government has yet to decide on exactly what type of model to introduce, the amount to levy on homeowners and what the total take will be from the tax.
Some senior sources have suggested that it would be more expedient to introduce the tax mid year since other taxes from the budget will take effect on January 1st.
Among government backbenchers there is a growing fear about the inevitable political fallout from the new tax.
It is part of a deal agreed with the troika and is a package of measures which are designed to raise €1.25 billion next year.
Since it is unable to collect all of the current outstanding household charge this year it seems crazy to introduce this new property tax until it deals with the present situation first.
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Taxes on fuel make up 55 per cent of total price
HighwayRobberyI have been noticing for a few weeks now that it seems to take more and more Euros to make the exact same trip from my house in Cavan to Dublin.
At first I though it was the jeep but according to recent figures released by fuel cost comparison website Pumps.ie, it’s strictly down to rising fuel prices.
Even the Central Statistics Office has confirmed this with a report that petrol prices have risen 7.3 per cent in the last 12 months and my diesel has jumped 6.3 per cent in the same period.
So what’s behind these figures?
Well there are three main reasons.
- World oil prices are rising
- The Euro is weakening against the dollar
- Irish taxes on fuel have increased significantly
Although world oil prices fell back slightly during May and June the trend now is upwards with oil around €115/barrel.
However one of the major factors pushing up fuel costs is increased taxation. Since the emergency budget of October 2008 there have been no less than five separate tax increases on both petrol and diesel. This has resulted in a 20 per cent increase on both fuels and when you factor in rising world prices then the result is the current price at the pumps.
Typically for every €1.70 you spend on a litre of petrol the Irish Government gets 93 cents!
That’s a whopping 55%, or over half the cost of that one litre of petrol.
And what does the retailer get out of this you may ask. According to The Irish Petrol Retail Association (IPRA) which represents over 400 independent petrol retailers in Ireland their members earn a measly three per cent.
Call it excise duty, carbon tax, VAT, but Ireland PLC certainly knows how to make an easy killing at the pumps.
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DSLR-quality images at your fingertips
Canon has expanded its EOS range with the launch of the new EOS M. It is the company’s first ever compact system camera (CSC), designed for those who use photography to share their everyday passions. It boasts DSLR-quality imaging, creative features and Full HD movie creation in a compact and easy-to-use model and is aimed particularly at a new breed of enthusiasts who record their everyday lives through images, yet do not consider themselves to be photographers in the true sense of the word.
The EOS M is available in sleek black, glossy white, stylish silver or bold red colours, and condenses Canon’s EOS imaging heritage into a stylish, compact design. The model launches alongside two new lenses, the EF-M 22mm f/2 STM pancake and the EF-M 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM standard zoom, as well as a new compact EX Speedlite – the Speedlite 90EX.For those who want to push their images even further, the EOS M can also utilise Canon’s extensive range of over 70 EF lenses with the new Mount Adapter EF-EOS M, for even more creative freedom.
EOS M ALL COLOURS w EF-M 18-55mm IS STM EOS M – key features
18MP APS-C Hybrid CMOS sensor
The quality of a digital SLR in a compact body
Scene Intelligent Auto
Interchangeable lenses
Easy-to-use touch-screen
Atmospheric photos in low light
Full-HD video with Video Snapshot Mode
EOS M BLACK EF-M 18-55mm IS STM Pricing and Availability
The EOS M will be available in Republic of Ireland from October 2012
EOS M + EF-M 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM: € 909.99 RRP incl. VAT.
EOS M + EF-M 22mm f/2 STM + Lens Adapter € 1,049.99 RRP incl. VAT.
EOS M + EF-M 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM + EF-M 22mm f/2 STM € 1,129.99 RRP incl. VAT.
EF-M 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM: € 320.99 RRP incl. VAT.
EF-M 22mm f/2 STM: € 273.99 RRP incl. VAT.
Lens Adapter € 154.99 RRP incl. VAT.
Speedlite EX90 €139.99 RRP incl. VAT
Republic of Ireland: www.facebook.com/canon.ie
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