In the UK, Vodafone, the second largest operator, admits O2’s exclusive iPhone deal hurt its British business. It was the largest UK operator until 2006 and many analysts attribute O2′s gains to the iPhone deal.

Crucially, Vodafone will not have the iPhone available until early next year, missing an opportunity to capitalise on the lucrative Christmas market. In Northern Ireland, Orange customers will be able to get their hands on the iPhone in their Christmas stockings.

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This is a novel excercise in transparency and the public nature of the program is likely to go a long way to ruling out waste and inefficiency. In a video statement available to view on the site President obama states that “The important decisions about where taxpayer dollars will be invested will be yours to scrutinize.”

There is a full FAQ on the site: http://www.recovery.gov/?q=content/frequently-asked-questions

Vodafone and HTC are understood to be in discussions about the next generation of a device based on Google’s Android operating system – dubbed the G2.

Both Vodafone and HTC hope to have a deal signed in time for an announcement at Mobile World Congress, the mobile phone industry’s annual tradeshow in Barcelona which opened on today.

HTC also manufactured the first Gphone, the G1, which rival T-Mobile launched last autumn under an exclusive deal. While that device has done well in the US, recent numbers from T-Mobile in the UK suggest it has struggled to compete with Apple’s iPhone, available exclusively on O2. As T-Mobile don’t operate in Ireland, the original Gphone was not available here. A tie-up with Vodafone would most likely result in the phone becoming available on the Irish market also.

A Race for supremacy in mobile apps.

Google’s entry into the mobile cellular phone market follows the success of Apple’s iPhone. Google is hoping that its operating system will help persuade more mobile phone users to access the internet on their devices and become the platform of choice for developers of mobile phone applications.

While Apple’s iTunes currently dominates the so-called mobile “apps” space, Android already has about 800 applications available even though there is only one device in the market. It hopes that its share of the market will increase as more mobile device manufacturers release products.

Google Sync allows users to synchronize their contacts, and other information, with Google’s Web-based services such as Gmail. Google Sync works with a vast range of phones including Apple’s iPhone, Windows Mobile phones, BlackBerry, and also phones from Motorola, Sony Ericsson and Nokia.

An article on CNN.com today outlines car manufacturers’ plans for integrating computer systems with their vehicles in 2009. Motor industry executives hope the new technological bells and whistles will put some sizzle back into stagnant vehicle sales. The plans range from a system that warns motorists when they drift out of lane to a fully functional dashboard computer. Read more at CNN.com…….

In what has been described as a devastating blow for the region, the company will cease production at its Limerick factory in favour of its newer facility and considerably cheaper labour market in Poland.

The closure was part of a $3bn global cost-cutting program that was announced by the company in Q4 of 2008.

The redundancies will begin in April and will be pahsed until January of 2010.  No details of severance packages were discussed but the company said it would provide assistance to affected employees in finding alternative jobs.

Estimates vary of the knock-on effect on ancilliary industries but the concensus puts it between 8,000 and 12,000 other jobs that will be impacted.

Sean Corkery, vice-president of Dell operations in EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) described the cuts as a difficult decision.

“We are proud of our 18-year tenure as a major manufacturer in Ireland,” he said. “This is a difficult decision, but the right one for Dell to become even more competitive, and deliver greater value to customers in the region.”

Dell will continue non-manufacturing operations in Ireland with 1,100 workers reamining at the Raheen facility focused on supporting overseas manufacturing through product development, engineering and logistics and  1,300 marketing and sales staff at Dell’s Cherrywood plant in south Dublin.

The computer maker will remain one of Ireland’s largest employers.