First, i'm french.

This offer is not really good.
It is in facts 25€ for DSL and 35€ for macbook.

Considering this, after 3 years, the macbook cost 161€ more than the same one on apple.fr
The only advantage is applecare include (which cost a lot).

However you must stay with orange for 3 years !
With full ADSL2+, unlimited calls to modern countries, hdtv, etc... at 30€ for their competitor, orange loose a lot of customers.
And i'm not talking about future services,
iliad/free will install optical fiber in Paris (100Mbps up/down + multime hdtv...).
Ok it will take 2 year but you must think about it when you sign for 3 years (especially if your building get optical fiber on first in a month :) )

Can't wait for watching Heros in HDTV on a 1,5" screen...

RFID IS a smartcard, but with antenna.

However i agree with you.

Here in France, we use only chip since at least 15 years. This allow a way better security (That's also one reason why merchant pay less commission than US merchant on transactions), especially on "offline" transactions.

However, there is also many RFID test here.
Or more precisely, NFC test with mobile phone.

And with amex, visa, mc, JCB, ect... on NFC forum,
we can expect a worldwide contactless standard for payments, like EMV is for smartcards.

What if you have multiple cards in your wallet ?

Michael Parker : calculate it again.

Rico : that's 40� INCLUDING net/phone access

About remote control : don't forget it's for people who don't already have a pc.
It must be as simple as possible, and be able to auto update.

It's like hosting service wich can control dedicated server : you don't like it, but if there is a problem you can't resolve, it will help.

It's more or less like remote assistance feature in windows.

I'm from France.

This computer is mainly made for people who want something easy to manage (the box itself is named "easy neuf", from neuf telecom).

You can see the user interface here : http://www.pcinpact.com/actu/news/31605-easy-gate-neuf.htm


However, from the same ISP, you can have for 30�/month :
The landline
ADSL 2+ internet (24 Mbps max)
Unlimited calls to 32 country from home (and from any FON hotspot now)
63+ tv channels


So, "easy neuf" cost more for less (but paid for the landline, less Mbps, no TV) but with the "computer", and you must give 250� to start with (100 + 150 EUR).
With this extra money you can have a basic computer (not the better one, but better than a 852GB with 512MB flash disk).

The computer have 3 menu options : easy, medimum, and expert.

The market for this offer is clearly people who don't know compter that much (old people for instance).


About market in France : yes only 40% have internet access (but not in big cities, here in Paris i don't really know anyone without it),
but about all people who have it, have high speed (so, they are not really a "1 connection every 40 days" statistic").

BTW, what's the % of people with high speed connection at home in US canada and japan ?

I don't see any power off button, and i don't want to.

So, the system in the shoes must "work" 24/365 = 8760h/year

The system must work everytime, not only when you are running (what about just walking ?).

Kynetic system would be ideal, 'cause i don't see people change battery of their shoes.

Humm...

Wasn't these photos confidential ?

http://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/prod/oet/forms/blobs/retrieve.cgi?attachment_id=661436&native_or_pdf=pdf

[David:moua]

Bluetooth consumption is too high (i dont see people change battery of their shoes every day/weeks).

It's probably a technology similar to zigbee, with even lower coverage/consumption.

But i don't see any CE logo there :(
I will not be sold outside north America ?

[David:moua]

The premium version will cost 599EUR in Euro Europe.
That's 765 USD today : http://www.google.com/search?q=599+EUR+in+USD

So, i will not be surprised for 797 USD (425GBP) in UK.
That's "only" 4% more expensive.

I know we have 16~21% VAT in Europe, but with the 1USD=1EUR for most suggested electronic price, that's 28% more ! :(

[David:moua]