TechWire

Tech bits 'n' pieces, Monday January 17th

Check out this extensive list of tweeting Irish journalists (arranged by publication/broadcaster) by @Ondaboos. Very handy for PR and marketing folks, I'd imagine. Also worth checking out @garethoconnor's media lists.

Looking for a deal on an iPhone 4? The 3 Store in Dun Laoghaire (no link, as offer not online) has em for €100. But it's a 2-year contract at €40 per month.

There's a couple of good Irish law blogs out there. Like Rossa McMahon's A Clatter Of Law and TJ McIntyre's IT Law In Ireland.

Want to start a fight on Twitter or a blog? Here are the rules (says TechCrunch).

Facebook apps can now obtain your phone number and home address. (But only if you consent.)

Bloggers: sick of writing 'for free'? Seeking Alpha "pays $10 per 1,000 views".  (WSJ link)

Avoid the Taste Of Dublin

Unless you're a southsider who wants a day out and has more money than sense.

In my experience, this is an almighty rip-off. I recall, last year, getting a small punnet of chips with a few bits of chicken in it for €7. And that was the cheapest item on offer. In addition to this, you have to pay €25 just to get in.

To sum up, you pay €25 to get into a field where you have the privilege to buy food (at way over the odds) from a bunch of stalls.

In fairness to the organisers, it's a brilliant earner.

Rip-offs: Apple Store Ram memory

I'm writing a piece on everyday tech rip-offs this week, and continue to be amazed at the sheer audacity of the Irish Apple Store in their price structure for Ram memory.
Basically, you can buy a quality set of two 2GB Ram sticks (4GB in total) for about €70 from various reliable and reputable online stores (Crucial.com, Komplett.ie etc). Incredibly, Apple's Irish store charges €320 for exactly the same product, and I mean exactly the same product. Incredible. My own theory is that they reckon Apple Store customers are used to just reverting to the Apple Store for parts and accessories, thinking that other outlets don't sell Apple-compatible parts. I've also noticed the O2 Store passing on these ridiculous prices.