newmediacuts

Vega City comes to Lusk

Well the news is out - a group of Irish and International property developers want to build Vega City - the biggest theme park in the world - right bang in the centre of Lusk parish. Calling it the 'biggest construction project in the history of the state' the developers are out there now offering 115 000 Euro per acre to hapless farmers and landowners who must be laughing all the way back to the barns.

If you believe the developers, the Lusk Ireland theme park will cost 7 billion Euros, and provide permanent employment to some 25 000 people. A glass-covered dome will protect the ridees from the worst rigours of the Irish weather, while a conference centre, a large watersports lake and many apartments and hotels will be slotted in around the jamboree. Don't forget the casino.

As the Evening Herald pointed out tonight, wouldn't this be a wonderful way of turning a huge chunk - that's 2 000 acres - of prime Dublin green belt into zoned residential from its current status of zoned agricultural. No Hollywood studio has as yet stood up to sponsor the park.

This one, pardon the pun, will run and run.

A cartwheel embrace over Dublin night skies . . .

Here's a shot of the full moon rising over Dublin - of interest is the 'star' to the right - its actually Mars, which is coming to its closest point to Earth for 60 000 years. Funny to think there are three or four space craft hot-footing it to that planet at the moment.

Photo taken with Nikon CoolPix 950 at 2.5 digital zoom

The Irish Carribean

I have just spent two glorious days on Rush beach in North County Dublin with my three little boys. It was a pleasure to see them with sand between their toes, and darting in and out of rockpools catching shrimps and crabs. The hours flew by under the glorious sunshine that we have been blessed with in Ireland recently. Armed with serious-looking spades, Ross and Tim must have dredged most of the rockpools on the beach - and some fearsome looking crabs they caught too . . .

Well the weather is meant ot last another couple of days, so I guess that we will make hay while the sun shines. Just as well - my inbox is beginning to pile up!

iPod radio kit deemed 'illegal' in UK

A gadget that lets you send songs from Apple's iPod music player to an FM radio has fallen foul of UK laws. I've been looking at the iPod recently, but this time around decided to get a minidisc because of the recording features. One really cool thing about an add-on for the iPod - the iTrip - is that you attach it to the iPod, select a spare radio frequency in your home stereo or car, and then the iPod will broadcast to that frequency - no messy wires or anything.

A N Micro, the UK distributor of the iTrip, said use of the device was prohibited under the Wireless Telegraphy Act of 1949.

The act forbids the use of radio equipment without a license or an exemption.

The iTrip transmits at very low power on an FM frequency and so in theory could interfere with broadcasts from a radio station.

The $35 cylindrical device, made by Griffin Technology in the US, has won critical acclaim from fans of Apple's digital music player.

There are no restrictions on its use in the US, where people can use it to listen to songs stored on the iPod on a home or car stereo.