Jamie Smyth has a story today [sub only] on the out of court settlement between Mike Fagan, the former CEO of the IEDR (the company that administrates the .ie domain registry) and its board of directors. It notes in part:

An affidavit prepared by the chairman of the IE Domain Registry - who is a former chairman of Telecom Éireann - Mr Seán Scanlon, alleges 18 separate matters of serious concern including: substantial overpayment to Mr Fagan having regard to irregular tax treatment of his salary; improper accounting for personal expenses on the company Visa card; a failure to disclose to the board losses incurred by the company; and entering contractual arrangements with parties connected to Mr Fagan without prior board clearance.

The affidavit alleges Mr Fagan removed a substantial amount of company documentation when he visited the company's premises on October 2nd, and that KPMG officials were initially refused entrance to the offices, before they were accompanied by gardaí.

It also alleges that there is evidence that management accounts prepared by the financial controller were altered to present a more positive position on the instruction of Mr Fagan. It is alleged this included the reversal of expenses, incorrectly recognising revenue, window dressing of cash and altering budgets to reduce variances in results.

Mr Fagan's affidavit to the High Court acknowledges that a letter from the IE Domain Registry sent to him in October outlined several alleged irregularities that were purported to have been carried out by him. This affidavit rejects what it describes as "bogus allegations."

It says Mr Fagan feels his exclusion from his post derived from the fact that he had forcefully expressed his opposition to the domination of the IE Domain Registry by an elite from UCD, Telecom Éireann and KPMG. It also alleges that the new IE Domain Registry is attempting to write off substantial debts owed to it in order to create a liquidity crisis that would prompt a "rescue" by UCD. In court this week Mr Fagan claimed the investigation by KPMG is bogus and contrived and in breach of fair procedures and natural and constitutional justice. The IE Domain Registry Ltd denies these claims.

It is unclear whether or not the KPMG report which contains the allegations will be publically released.

1:49:45 PM  #   your two cents []

Diego believes he has found 'prior art' (as the legal term goes) dating back to 1996 that would invalidate AOL's patent on instant messaging.
12:13:14 PM  #   your two cents []

Bernie points to a good article that casts an evaluative eye on text messaging, 10 years after its introduction.
12:06:55 PM  #   your two cents []

Radio Free Software. Call them hackers of the last computing frontier: The GNU Radio coders believe that any device with a chip should be able to do, well, anything. [Salon.com]
11:54:24 AM  #   your two cents []

Palm in the black. Market acceptance of new products figures to serve notice on Microsoft [InfoWorld: Top News]
11:53:59 AM  #   your two cents []

From Boing Boing Blog: Japanese Web Zen, take two: Tissue-san!. If you were down with Sushi Seals earlier this week, you'll sneeze with delight...: anthropomorphic personal-hygiene products. There's the cheerful roll of toilet paper; the bookish box of recycled hankies; and the assertive, mischievous tub of pre-moistened wet-naps. Try reading the website copy aloud in a squeaky falsetto voice:
"It's not just a tissue you always use. Ultra-cute character Tissue san arrived!!! from designer: please pet this innocent tissue to be used without any complain every day."

All your Kleenex are belong to us.

Update: Stefan Jones noticed this bizarre panda-fetish character happening in another area of the same website. Mouseover the panda's nether-regions, and very strange, gut-bustingly funny, ill-translated copy pops up.
Link

11:51:18 AM  #   your two cents []

Jules Renard. "Failure is not the only punishment for laziness; there is also the success of others." [Quotes of the Day]
11:47:38 AM  #   your two cents []

Doc Searls on web ownership: "The wonderful irony, of course, is that every new addition to the Net's public domain geology enlarges the marketplaces for stuff (proprietary and otherwise) that can be built on it."
11:46:25 AM  #   your two cents []

And they're surprised at the vehemence of anti-globalisation demonstrations?! Avoid buying Nestle products (which, unfortunately, extend into just about every area of consumer food purchasing): Nestle claims £3.7m from famine-hit Ethiopia. Multinational corporation demands $6m payment from the world's poorest country. [Guardian Unlimited]
11:42:25 AM  #   your two cents []

Lucent's wireless networks gets smarter. Lucent Technologies says it's developed an enhanced "smart antenna" to help wireless carriers battle dropped calls that plague their networks. [CNET News.com]
11:38:30 AM  #   your two cents []

"The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers". Yes, there are some "middle-chapter" problems, but Peter Jackson's Tolkien adaptation hasn't lost its devastating humanity, its heart-stopping cinematography or its epic sweep. [Salon.com]
11:37:13 AM  #   your two cents []

An Aria With Hiccups: The Music of Data Networks. "Chris Chafe, a composer, cellist and director of the Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics at Stanford University, has devised a system that uses sound to show minute lapses in network connections." [New York Times: Technology]
11:35:53 AM  #   your two cents []

For Foreign-Language Learners, the Web Unties Tongues. For students of foreign languages, the Web is a goldmine of learning tools.  [New York Times: Technology]
11:32:26 AM  #   your two cents []