Posts Tagged ‘european’

Recon Instruments has been building heads-up display headgear for years, but until Google Glass showed up, not many people understood what exactly the company was trying to sell. “Google being in this space makes it easier for us to explain what we do,” said Shane Luke, Recon’s VP of product management at Google I/O today. “People aren’t so confused by our products anymore.” The company’s next product, the Jet, is a pair of sunglasses built for bike riders, kayakers, runners and general athletes. Continue reading…

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Recon Instruments Jet: hands-on with a rugged Google Glass, of sorts

Ever since BitCoin appeared, I’ve been waiting for two security experts to venture detailed opinions on it: Dan Kaminsky and Ben Laurie. Dan has now weighed in, with a long, thoughtful piece on the merits and demerits of BitCoin as a currency and as a phenomenon. Bitcoin’s fundamental principle of fraud management is one of        

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Dan Kaminski on BitCoin

Planning a weekend brunch? You’re in luck! The new Mountain Dew Kickstart is a crowdfunded highly caffeinated pseudo-juice that PepsiCo is marketing as a great breakfast drink. Then, swing round to your local county fair and get Chicken Charlie to sell you a nice takeaway package of his deep-fried cereal to accompany things, and well,        

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American cuisine

Amazon’s original TV ambitions are live. Starting today, web users in the US and the UK (through Lovefilm) can stream all 14 new pilot episodes created under Amazon Studios, the e-commerce giant’s original content arm. Amazon wants web users to watch the pilots and vote on which ones the company should turn into full, season-long shows of about 13 episodes, which will then only be available through Amazon Prime. But one thing is certain: not all the new pilots will make it into shows.

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Amazon Studios debuts all 14 original series pilots for free streaming

Apple’s deals with European wireless carriers are under scrutiny by the European Commission, reports The New York Times . According to an unnamed source, a group of European operators submitted details of their contracts with Apple to the Commission, although no formal complaints have been filed. The accusations reportedly focused on French carriers, although other countries may be involved. Continue reading…

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NYT: Apple allegedly squeezing EU operators on iPhone contracts, regulators looking into it

The European Union first expressed concern about Google’s new privacy policy last February, and now, more than a year later, Reuters reports that EU regulators are preparing to take action against the company this summer. Last October, after a probe into Google’s new privacy policy, regulators urged the company to revise its policy in order to comply with data protection laws. Regulators were not pleased with Google’s response. EU regulators gave Google four months to change its policies last October, and the French privacy regulator leading the EU’s investigation said that the company “did not provide any precise and effective answers.” Reuters reports that the EU’s action this year will begin with the creation of a working group to… Continue reading…

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Google will face further scrutiny from EU regulators over 2012 privacy policy changes

The US Navy is looking to develop a swarm of odor-sniffing robots to help assemble and load some of its most dangerous weaponry. As Wired reports , these semi-automated robots would act almost like mechanized ants, with “leader” and “follower” bots loading 1,000-pound bombs into tight spaces aboard aircraft carriers. A human-controlled leader robot would lead the procession, with its automated followers trailing behind. The key ingredient to the Navy’s proposal is an as-yet unidentified chemical that could act as a pheromone

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Bomb-carrying Navy robots take orders from odors

Nikon was quiet at this year’s CES, announcing just the J3 and S1 interchangeable cameras, but apparently it was just biding its time: the company’s now announced seven new Coolpix cameras, essentially overhauling its point-and-shoot lineup in one fell swoop. At the top of the lineup is the new Coolpix P520 (the successor to the P510, which will still be sold), which offers a ridiculous 42x zoom, plus an 18-megapixel sensor and a 3.2-inch tilting LCD. The $449.95 camera also comes with GPS built in, plus support for Nikon’s WU-1a Wi-Fi adapter. Big zoom and Wi-Fi are common themes with Nikon’s new Coolpix models, as is ruggedization. The $349.95 AW110 is shockproof to 6.5 feet, waterproof to 60 feet, and freezeproof to -14 degrees..

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Nikon’s seven new Coolpix cameras bet big on huge zoom and Wi-Fi

There’s a new Bob Dylan box set on the market, but chances are you won’t be able to find it. That’s because Dylan’s label, Sony Music, has released just 100 copies of the four-CD set, as part of an attempt to circumvent European copyright law. Dylan’s 50th Anniversary Collection box set includes 86 unreleased tracks, including studio outtakes and live recordings from between 1962 and 1963. As Rolling Stone reports , these songs were slated to enter the European public domain this year, but they’ll now remain under copyright thanks to a unique provision in the EU’s copyright laws.

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Bob Dylan’s record label dodges copyright law with super limited release of rare songs

The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has introduced a proposal that would require all new cars to be fitted with “black boxes” to record data in the event of a crash. These event data recorders — which save information like vehicle speed, whether or not the driver used their brakes, and if seat belts were buckled — have been built into cars by various manufacturers for years, and the NHTSA estimates that about 96 percent of next year’s vehicles already have them. This proposal will require all new cars to include recorders beginning in September of 2014. It is similar to a transportation bill that passed the Senate earlier this year , but ultimately floundered due to privacy concerns

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US Department of Transportation wants to require ‘black box’ recorders in all new vehicles

Welcome to The Verge: Weekender edition. Each weekend, we bring you important articles from the previous week’s original reports , features and reviews on The Verge . Think of it as a collection of a few of our favorite pieces from the week gone by, which you may have missed, or which you might want to read again. Hope you’re recovering from your holiday feasting: happy reading

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The Weekender: Hurricane recovery in NYC, the Wii U, and Microsoft Research

The UK plans to increase its contribution to Europe’s space program, in the hopes of attracting lucrative contracts and spurring domestic job growth. The country currently contribues £170 million ($271 million) per year to the European Space Agency (ESA), but Chancellor George Osborne told BBC News today that his government will increase that figure by £60 million ($96 million) over the next two years. The move comes at a time when many countries are cutting back on space programs, particularly across cash-strapped Europe. Since 2010, the UK has cut spending on civil research programs by five percent, and while many sectors have contracted in the wake of the global financial crisis, the British space industry has seen a resurgence,… Continue reading…

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UK finds European space program profitable, ramps up investment

After months of waiting, the launch of Windows 8 is imminent, and Microsoft is streaming its event in New York City. We’re there for any news, but if you want to see the whole thing yourself, you can watch on Microsoft’s site here . It’s just started, and we expect to see not only fanfare for the new touch-focused version of Windows but some new showcased apps.

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Watch this: Microsoft’s Windows 8 launch livestream

A new wheelchair developed by Japan’s Chiba Institute of Technology is able to cope with uneven surfaces and tight spaces with ease. The chair uses an array of sensors to detect obstacles and terrain changes before adjusting automatically. Shuro Nakajima, who led the project, explains that the wheels are actually being used more like legs: the chair climbs stairs one wheel at a time. Sensors are also used to detect an incline or decline in terrain, which allows the chair to adjust the pitch of the seat to keep the user’s body as level as possible. A video released by DigInfo TV clearly demonstrates the benefits of the system over recent stair-climbing chairs that still require level steps and mostly even terrain to operate.

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Robotic wheelchair can climb steps, traverse uneven surfaces, turn on the spot

Microsoft’s Windows 8 operating system will be available from retailers on October 26th, but up until now we haven’t known exactly how. Amazon has several listings today for Windows 8 upgrades, including a European N edition that is marked as “not with Windows Media Player.” We exclusively revealed the box art for Windows 8 earlier this year, and Amazon’s imagery matches it. One listing for a Windows 8 Standard Edition to Windows 8 Pro Edition shows that Microsoft will be offering product keys in retail packaging at launch, with no disc required to upgrade to the Pro edition for Windows 8 users. The online retailer hasn’t listed any pricing against the Windows 8 listings, but Microsoft has previously said that existing Windows XP,… Continue reading…

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Windows 8 packaging revealed at Amazon, European N editions available

During a special event at London’s Abbey Road Studios this morning, Deezer unveiled 76 new markets for its streaming music service — including locations in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Thanks to new funding totalling $130 million, Deezer says it plans to accelerate its global expansion. Music fans will be able to access 20 million tracks, but US citizens have been left out of any expansion plans. “We are not going to the US,” says Alex Dauchez, Deezer CEO. “One day, but not now

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Deezer’s streaming music service now available in 160 countries, US market ‘not ready’

The European Trade Commission has delayed an investigation into Chinese telecommunications giants Huawei and ZTE due to a new investigation into aggressively low solar panel pricing from Chinese distributors, Reuters reports . Huawei and ZTE, which were recently investigated by the US House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and deemed potential security risks, were also being investigated by EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht citing concerns over pricing subsidies. However, a formal complaint from a European telecommunications producer is required in order to launch a full investigation, and no complaint has been brought forward. The seemingly-unrelated solar panel investigation may serve the purpose of making an impression..

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European Trade Commission temporarily delays price subsidy investigation into Huawei and ZTE

The pay-what-you-want Humble Bundle project has certainly been a success when it comes to indie games, and now it’s looking to do the same for books. The latest edition of the bundle shifts the focus to literature, and like its gaming counterpart, it offers DRM-free content and lets you divide your payment amongst the authors and various charities. The bundle includes six books: Cory Doctorow’s Pirate Cinema , Paolo Bacigalupi’s Pump Six , Lauren Beukes’ Zoo City , Mercedes Lackey’s Invasion , and Kelly Link’s Magic For Beginners and Stranger Things Happen. But for those who decide to pay more than the average amount — currently hovering just above $10 — they’ll be treated to two bonus books in the form of John Scalzi’s Old Man’s War and… Continue reading…

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Good Deal: Humble Bundle for ebooks includes Doctorow, Gaiman, and more

eBay has announced a new tool called Setify , which makes it easier for users to organize, share, and add to their collections of treasured objects. The service — currently in private beta — allows users to create a collection using items from the site or from their own collections, set up a wishlist of other objects, and share their progress with other eBay members. The service currently only works for coins and comic books, but eBay says that more categories are on the way, along with Setify apps for iOS and Android. eBay is touting the service as somewhat of a return to its roots, as the site was originally populated by collectors, but it will be interesting to see how much the e-commerce company intends to regulate the collector… Continue reading…

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eBay debuts Setify, a new organization and wishlist tool for collectors

Facebook has disabled its Tag Suggest facial recognition feature for all new users in the European Union (EU) as part of efforts to comply with stringent privacy recommendations made by the Irish Data Protection Commissioner (DPC). The social network plans to delete all Tag Suggest information and disable the feature for existing EU users by October 15th at the latest. The news comes as the DPC publishes a lengthy report on a re-audit of the company , which has its European headquarters in Dublin. The report is broadly positive, and the decision to disable Tag Suggest appears to have played a major role in assuaging the Commissioner’s office

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Facebook disables facial recognition in EU as Ireland publishes positive privacy report

You’re probably familiar with ASIMO, Honda’s humanoid robot , but you might not be aware of the company’s expansive range of lawnmowers. Today the two come together at last with the announcement of Miimo, a new entrant in what Honda calls the “fast-growing European robotic lawnmower market.” Miimo is designed to cut 2-3mm of grass at a time throughout the week, and does so in a random pattern to reduce the stress on your lawn. There are two models, Miimo 300 and 500, the latter of which is able to mow lawns up to half the size of a football pitch. As for its robotics, Miimo operates autonomously within a boundary wire placed around the owner’s garden, has three bump sensors, and will automatically return to its charging dock when battery… Continue reading…

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Honda moves into robotic lawnmower market with Miimo

We know how much Apple thinks it should be paid for Samsung’s alleged infringement, and now Samsung is making its wants known: according to two witnesses today, Apple should pay Samsung as much as $421.8 million if infringement is found. Dr. Vincent O’Brien testified about three utility patents covering email, photo browsing, and music playback functionality. SInce Samsung hasn’t lost any sales due to the alleged infringement, monetary damages come down to reasonable royalty rates: an estimate of what the two companies could have arrived at if they’d negotiated licenses themselves. O’Brien looked at a number of factors, including Apple’s own history of royalty payouts (according to his testimony, Cupertino has paid $1.4 billion in…

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Samsung rests its case after asking Apple for up to $421.8 million

While the last few days have been filled with theatrics from the Apple v. Samsung legal teams , today we got back to the two sides explaining their cases before the nine-person jury. Phil Schiller was up first , and walked the courtroom through the impetus for the original iPhone in 2004 — “We realized at the time that some phones weren’t any good as entertainment devices,” he said — as well as the success the smartphone had upon launch. In fact, after a few years the iPhone became so successful that the company had a simple shorthand for estimating sales of the newest version: “Each new generation sold approximately equal to all previous generations combined.” Pivoting to advertising expenditures, Schiller then outlined the company’s… Continue reading…

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Schiller, Forstall, and ‘Fight Club’: day three of Apple v. Samsung

We’ve seen a number of early iPhone prototypes come out as evidence in the Apple / Samsung trial, but today we got our first glimpse at the very beginning of the iPhone process in 2005, when Apple was considering grafting a phone onto the existing iPod line. We now know that’s literally true — early discussions involved putting a ring of number keys around the iPod click wheel. “This may be our answer,” said Steve Jobs in an email to Jony Ive. As it happens, in 2005 Samsung and Bang & Olufsen had just released the SGH-E910 “fashion phone” with a similar arrangement, and iPod head Tony Fadell sent an Engadget blog post about the phone to Jobs and other Apple execs. “Weird way to hold the cellphone,” said Fadell, but using the round…

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Early iPhone design talks sparked by a Samsung ‘fashionphone’

A spokesman for the European Commission’s antitrust agency has confirmed that the Commission is investigating browser choice issues on Windows RT and detailed more possible charges. Antoine Colombani told Computerworld that “we will indeed look at these allegations made by third parties in the context of the investigation opened yesterday on Microsoft’s compliance with our December 2009 decision.” These allegations were primarily made by Mozilla , which has complained that Microsoft’s tablet-focused Windows RT operating system only allows third-party browsers in the Metro environment, not the more traditional Classic mode. It’s also alleged that users may find it difficult to change the default browser. As Colombani said, the..

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European Commission confirms probe of alleged Windows RT browser exclusion, details more complaints