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In the papers 13 June
O2 loses copyright infringement case | PC shipment forecasts revised upwards
The Irish Times reports that Australian investment bank Babcock & Brown, which ultimately controls Eircom, is facing a review of AUD2.8 billion (EUR1.7 billion) in debt after a 28 percent share price collapse in one day brought its market capitalisation to levels at which its banks can seek early repayment. Babcock & Brown, which orchestrated the takeover of Eircom in 2006 by a specialist investment fund, has seen its value drop by 75 percent this year amid questions over the viability of its business model and investor worries about heavily indebted companies.
The paper also reports that tech giant IBM has advised 20,000 of its technical staff to drop Microsoft Office in favour of software from its Lotus subsidiary, which adheres to open standards. A memo from IBM’s chief information officer Mark Hennessy and vice-president Gina Poole was sent to staff on Thursday and although it does not explicitly mention Office, it talks about “a new, more integrated approach to desktop productivity software” that is facilitated by using Lotus Symphony.
The same paper says the European Commission has signalled it will back down from its push to create a new European telecoms authority, in the face of opposition from EU governments. EU telecoms commissioner Viviane Reding has proposed a package of measures to update the union’s telecoms rules, including a plan for a new European communications authority. The European Parliament has proposed an alternative body of European regulators in telecoms, dubbed Bert. “I am looking at these different approaches with an open mind,” said Reding.
The Irish Independent notes that John Nagle and John Williamson, the two ousted top executives at e-payments firm Payzone, have built up a 17 percent stake in the company ahead of an extraordinary general meeting vote on Monday on a planned EUR40 million fundraising round. Nagle also said he had sent notification to Payzone seeking another EGM, where he would propose the removal of senior independent non-executive director David Mills from the board.

enn.ie

A chilling breeze, a thick mist, a constant threat of rain — it all must have made the members of Death Cab for Cutie feel like they were back home in Seattle.
The quartet headlined a rare rock concert Tuesday at the fog-shrouded Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park, and somehow the rain stayed away despite singer Ben Gibbard’s best efforts.
“The clouds above opened up and let it out,” he sang on the anthemic “Transatlanticism,” as the 90-minute concert wound down.
The show had been sold out for weeks, and the atmosphere was festive despite the soggy lawn and gray skies. One of the problems with becoming a popular band is that popularity does not guarantee dedication; the chatter ratio in the audience at times approached Wrigley Field bleacher levels.
Those who paid attention (and occasionally sang along) were rewarded with a typically solid performance, with Gibbard’s high, wan vocals offset by grand washes of guitar and a rhythm section that expertly framed the singer’s every word.
Yet there was little sense of occasion, and the band’s intensity didn’t quite match its performance at the opposite end of Grant Park three years ago, at Lollapalooza. But the large-scale performance was emblematic of how far Death Cab has journeyed in the last decade, and its strengths were apparent: the intricate yet propulsive drumming of Jason McGerr (particularly on “Cath”); the animated energy of bassist Nick Harmer; the versatility of Chris Walla, a master of embroidering every melody with just the right flourish on guitar or keyboard; and the songs of Gibbard, which give voice to the tiny triumphs and silent setbacks that define a life.
Death Cab’s latest album, “Narrow Stairs” (Atlantic), recently debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard chart. Its 143,000 sales marked the biggest single-week figure in the band’s career — another landmark in the quartet’s slow, steady ascent to mass acceptance. In evolving out of indie-rock obscurity, the band has maintained its insularity and integrity. Walla has overseen the recording of each of the band’s albums, and the band’s sound remains resolutely its own.

chicagotribune.com

When the track and field season concludes next month, Westhill High School will close the book on one of its most successful periods in recent history.
The Vikings went 13-5 in dual meets this year, coming off a season in which they went 14-4. The Vikings have also won five consecutive city titles, and they swept the individual awards at last week’s meet against Stamford.
There will be a lot of people shedding tears during Westhill commencement exercises, and Vikings’ coach Todd Page will be one of them. He’s losing 15 seniors that have been the backbone of his team’s success.
“This core group of kids has been together since they were freshman,” Page said. “I taught a lot of them in world history, and I’ve watched them grow and get better each year. I remember watching a freshman meet and I remember thinking four years from now, we could be in a position to do something special. To be honest, I was hoping for better.”
It is difficult for any team to break through in the Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference, which has state power Danbury and Staples, a model of consistency that is always among the best teams in its Class S.
The best part for Page is that his Vikings still have an opportunity to do some outstanding things in the next few weeks. The postseason begins tomorrow with the Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference championship meet at Danbury. The team then turns its attention to the Class championships on June 2 at Manchester
High School, and the State Open on June 9 at Willow Brook Park. Page is also hopeful he will have some athletes qualify for the New England Championships, scheduled for June 14 at Thornton Academy in Saco, Maine.
Westhill’s best opportunity to get to the New England meet might be with its 4 x 800 relay team of Pete Jankovsky, James Grebey, Andrew Erskine and Wildens Fils. The team set the freshmen record at Westhill and was eighth in the Class LL meet last year in 8:21.4.

stamfordadvocate.com

By brIAN DAVIS / The Dallas Morning News
Having won 13 of its last 14 games, Texas A&M may be one of the hottest teams in America heading into the NCAA Women’s Tournament. But senior guard Aqua Franklin has a different view.
"We’re the most humble team in America," Franklin said.
The 11th-ranked Aggies must wait until 6 p.m. Monday to learn if they have earned a No. 2 seed in the field of 64. ESPN will unveil the bracket during an hour-long show. The network will also broadcast all 63 games through the Women’s Final Four in Tampa, Fla.
A&M (26-7) and Baylor (24-6) have both scheduled watch parties for their fans. A&M fans can watch the show at the Above The Rim club inside Reed Arena. Baylor fans can watch with the Lady Bears at the Ferrell Center.
Connecticut, North Carolina, Tennessee and Stanford may have the inside track to the No. 1 seeds. But several regional teams will be watching with their fingers crossed.
Texas coach Gail Goestenkors believes the Longhorns (21-12) should get into the NCAAs after a strong closing run. UT missed the tournament the last two years. This season, the Longhorns won six games against Top-25 teams and rank 26th in the NCAA-approved RPI ratings.

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