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Recommended Reading: Instagram invades the home
Home is where the photo booth is: How Instagram is changing our living spaces Alyssa Bereznak, The Ringer Backdrops, letter boards and faux patterns. The struggle to upgrade those Instagram-able moments at home is real. The Ringer examines the trend of spicing up those regular ol' photos for parties or a milestone announcement, and the fear of the "indifferent scroll."
Netflix's star-studded 'Triple Frontier' arrives in March 2019
Netflix has unveiled a trailer and release date for Triple Frontier, a new cartel thriller with an impressive cast. Starring Oscar Isaac, Ben Affleck, Son's of Anarchy's Charlie Hunnam and Pedro Pascal, the film follows a team of ex-US Special Forces soldiers working for themselves instead of their country. They aim to steal millions of dollars from a dangerous South American drug cartel, but of course, things go wrong and it turns into a fight for survival.
SWTOR is finally getting a barber shop feature
If you find yourself asking, "Hmm, when will I see more customization options for my character, new vehicles, and possibly a convenient one-stop-shop to adjust my character's look?" while playing Star Wars: The Old Republic, then your answer lies in the latest Insider video. In it, BioWare producer Cory Butler details some of the new features inbound for the space MMORPG. What does the Cartel Market have on offer this month? There's a new Eradicator's Warsuit, a killer-looking outfit that was inspired by the original Deceived trailer. The trooper's armor set will be introduced later in the month, and then look out for the Vice Commandant's Contraband pack, which includes all new pets, vehicles, and gear. After April, the game will introduce the appearance designer kiosk, an all-in-one barber shop that allows players to change their appearance and even race! And oh yeah, players can also re-color armor sets. It's time for a new summer look, Jedi! (The Sith can't stand the sun.) Click onward to check out the video for yourself.
Samsung, LG, Philips and other TV makers fined $1.9 billion for EU price fixing
Some of the biggest TV manufacturers have been slapped with a $1.92 billion fine by the EU after regulators found the gang had been fixing prices of cathode-ray tubes for more than 20 years. Competition chief Joaquin Alumunia said that the group were acting as a cartel, featuring "all the worst kinds of anti-competitive behavior that are strictly forbidden [...] in Europe." Philips ate the biggest fine, having to pay $411 million, while LG, Panasonic, Samsung, Toshiba and Technicolor all coughed up between $386 million and $36 million. It follows an investigation which began in 2007 -- just when we all fell out of love with the old-fashioned technical standard. [Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons]
Star Wars: The Old Republic transmits free-to-play video
The race toward free-to-play is gaining momentum for Star Wars: The Old Republic. BioWare's been talking the transition up quite a bit lately, and has just released a new video giving players an overview of the differences once the change is made. While most of it is old news to those following the game, there are a few new tidbits worth noting here. One of these is clarification on character creation restrictions; BioWare revealed that the three free-to-play races are Human, Cyborg, and Zabrak. Previous subscribers are targeted for hugs and love with the F2P transition, as BioWare is not only granting them instant preferred status but also handing them currency to spend in the Cartel Market. Speaking of which, the market is briefly shown in the video with the following categories: featured, newly added, packs, cosmetic, unlocks, equipment, and consumables. Check out the video after the jump and let us know -- are you going back to SWTOR for F2P?
European Commission investigating 13 companies for optical drive price fixing
The European Commission is digging it its heels and officially launching an investigation into 13 companies for allegedly rigging bids on optical drives with at least two major OEMs. The companies haven't been named, but it's safe to assume if the Commission is getting involved these aren't two-bit players selling cheap knockoffs. With the Statement of Objections issued, now its a matter of gathering evidence and formally charging those it can build a case against. With an e-book investigation underway and a DRAM conspiracy not far in its past, the existence of an optical drive cartel is probably not the sort of news the Commission wants to hear right now. Sadly, there's not much detail to share, but you'll find the complete and brief PR after the break. Now its just time to sit back and wait to see what companies we're allowed to start hating next.
Report: HP's South Korean offices raided over alleged price fixing
Korea Times is a publication that isn't shy of the odd bold statement and today it's claiming that HP's South Korean offices were raided on suspicion of price-fixing deals made with IBM and Oracle. The country's Fair Trade Commission seized documents, computer records and questioned employees over alleged price-rigging on public-sector contracts. A company spokesperson said that the visit was routine, while FTC officers refused to comment about ongoing matters, but what is clear is that if any wrong-doing is found, the case will be turned over to prosecutors with the aim of commencing criminal proceedings for those responsible.
Justice Department preparing Apple iBooks antitrust lawsuit
The Justice Department is reportedly preparing to go after Apple, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, Penguin, Macmillan and HarperCollins following its investigation into alleged e-book price-rigging. The case centers around a deal to switch to agency pricing, where the vendor takes a 30 percent cut of each sale, rather than the wholesale model that gives publishers more flexibility to reduce prices or even sell e-books at a loss. Some publishers are now trying to agree on a new policy in an effort to stave off the kind of federal suit that nobody wants to wear.
Dutch officials contemplate barring KPN, T-Mobile and Vodafone from spectrum auction
A spectrum auction looms on the horizon in the Netherlands, but three of the country's largest players may be excluded from participation. As you know, earlier this week, Dutch authorities raided the offices of KPN Mobile, T-Mobile Netherlands and Vodafone Netherlands in a price-fixing investigation. The Netherlands Competition Authority (NMa), which carried out the raid, stressed that its visit does not mean the operators are guilty of collusion or hint at the outcome of its investigation. Now, Dutch lawmakers and the country's Minister of Economic Affairs must come to a decision about the auction that's set to take place in the spring of 2012 -- which is likely to be well in advance of any final report from the NMa. One option tossed around has been to postpone the auction, though, as lawmakers point out, this could hinder the development in the mobile space and further limit competition. Alternately, had any of the named companies actually profited from the alleged collusion, there's a risk that these monies could be used to purchase additional spectrum and further extend their dominance. Those discussing the matter hope to move quickly, though it certainly seems difficult to make any decision of this magnitude lightly.
T-Mobile, Vodafone and KPN raided in Dutch price-fixing probe
Details are pretty slim at the moment, but it appears that Vodafone, KPN and T-Mobile are among the companies that have been raided by Dutch regulators in a price-fixing investigation. The country's competition authorities, NMa, swept through the carriers' offices as part of a probe into alleged "cartel agreements" exposed by whistleblowers. All three of the companies have agreed to cooperate with the investigation and have denied wrong doing but, they're starting with a dark cloud of suspicion hanging over their heads already. It was only ten years ago that the same three mobile operators were fined for illegally coordinating on pricing and fees. Obviously, it's wrong to jump to conclusions, but what are the chances these huge corporations just haven't learned from their past mistakes?
DRAM cartel settles with European Commission, will pay €331 million fine
When the U.S. Department of Justice brought an antitrust suit against PC memory manufacturers in 2002, the RAM you see above wasn't even a twinkle in an engineer's eye... but seven years after Micron revealed the existence of a price fixing cartel and four years after Samsung sent three executives to jail and paid a $300 million penalty, the European Commission has slapped DRAM manufacturers with yet another fine. Those who 'fessed up early were partially let off the hook, but Infineon and Hynix will shoulder €57 million and €51 million respectively, while Samsung owes Europe a cool €145 million for its role in the scandal. Of course, for a company that counts a quarterly $459 million in profit during an off year, we're talking about another slap on the wrist.
The art of pricing
I hear this all the time: "Hurrr! Undercutters are ruining this market! Durrr!". Today, we're going to talk about this. Undercutting doesn't ruin markets, high supply does. Also, if it's still profitable, the market's not ruined, it's just being taken away from you. Cut your margins and undercut back. Or buy them out if you still think they're wrong and you're right. But markets should be protected from undercutters! Balderdash. Markets are a place where people can sell their goods for any price they want. You're describing collusion between sellers to reduce "lost profits," where every time someone wants to undercut with a new auction, they do so by the smallest possible amount. More often than not, all your competitors will have the same cost that you do, and as soon as they see you commit to an auction, they'll undercut you right back. If everyone is knocking a copper off the next highest auction, they only way to undercut successfully is to try camp the AH and make sure you're always the competitor who has visited most recently. Needless to say, this is a colossal waste of your time, and you would probably make more money per hour doing argent tourney dailies. The only way to effectively sell your product in a market with a lot of competitors is to undercut by more than just a trivial amount. You need to make it just cheap enough that your competition is less likely to undercut you, but expensive enough that you're still making money.
Dell joins dog pile, sues five LCD makers over price-fixing allegations
Looks like Dell is getting itself a membership in a club of which AT&T, Nokia, and the US Department of Justice are none too pleased to say they're members. The company has filed suit in a San Francisco court today against four Japanese LCD makers - Sharp, Hitachi, Toshiba, and Seiko Epson - and Taiwan-based HannStar. The crime at hand? None other than the much-chronicled LCD price fixing cartel. At least two of the aforementioned companies (Sharp and Hitachi) have already come forth to admit involvement and pay fines elsewhere, and now it looks like the troubles are still coming for them and others. If only there was some way the companies could band together to increase profits and help pay for these suits... oh, wait.
LCD price fixing investigation reaches $860 million in total fines, Chi Mei latest to 'fess up
It's not every day we get to cite an official US Department of Justice news release, so it's with a certain glee that we can announce the US taxpayer was last week enriched by another $220 million courtesy of the not-so-fine folks who swindled him out of that money in the first place. Joining the ignominious ranks of LG, Sharp, Hitachi and Chungwa Picture Tube, Taiwanese manufacturer Chi Mei is refunding the US state for the pecuniary impact of its collusive practices, which were primarily related to keeping prices artificially high and profits proportionately inflated. US companies directly affected by these ignoble activities include HP, Dell and Apple, but don't you worry, AT&T has already started the inter-corporation scuffle, with Nokia piling on for good measure. Man, it almost seems like crime doesn't pay.
Cartel's CT-2000 in-car Bluetooth handset adds music control, can't shake the retro
Cartel's CT-1000 brought about lots of laughs here at Engadget HQ, and frankly, we're shocked and amazed (and glad) these guys are still hanging tough two years later. The newest in-car handset system is the predictably titled CT-2000, which includes a Bluetooth-enabled handset that's meant to be permanently installed within your vehicle and wired to your audio system. Once installed, all of your mobile calls can be routed to this -- because, you know, chatting on a corded phone circa 1992 is entirely more safe than chatting on your mobile or using a handsfree solution. The only difference we can spot between the new guy and the aged sibling is the addition of music control, a "slimmer" (albeit wider) design, room for your phone contacts and one-touch speed dialing. There's no mention of a price, but trust us, you're better off in the dark. [Thanks, Martin]
EVE Evolved: EVE's economic underworld
EVE Online's in-game economy has been the subject of intense study over the years. The markets of EVE react very effectively to accomplish goals with the same economic laws that apply to many real-life marketplaces. The game's developers CCP even hired a professional economist to analyse the in-game economy, advise them on problem issues and deliver interesting quarterly reports. The driving force behind EVE's markets is often assumed to be basic supply and demand but this isn't always the most potent component. In the hyper-capitalistic universe of New Eden, all bets are off and the only rules are those players enforce themselves with an iron fist. Cartels, market manipulation and theft run rife in EVE, with far-reaching consequences. In this succinct article, I examine the hidden forces pushing and pulling EVE's markets and show that EVE's economic sandbox comes complete with quicksand and land mines.
CarTel uses wardriving for science, better driving directions
If you're not satisfied with the driving directions you get on Google Maps, a few smart guys at MIT have created an elaborate new toy called CarTel just for you. They've equipped a fleet of Boston-area cars with computers that automatically connect to any 802.11 access points detected in transit, then send home data recorded by their on board diagnostic systems, all in just a few hundred milliseconds. The result: a website that gives you directions based on information gathered in real-time so you can avoid high-traffic areas or say, if it's raining, roads which have historically been congested in adverse weather conditions -- no GPS required. The project also keeps a record of all access points detected, so think of it as wardriving for the good of humanity -- and you (probably) wouldn't even get arrested for participating![Via PhysOrg]
Outlaws of EVE Online: Masu'di Part 2
How do you handle the inevitable conflicts with territorial alliances who likely have greater numbers and firepower?Most of the areas of space we need access to are claimed, with various levels of effectiveness, by large and powerful territorial alliances. We can not begin to match them with manpower, so we have to take a more cracks between the pavement route.In EVE a little good will can go a long way. So we will always try an open upfront approach first, and try and build a mutually beneficial relationship. Cheap boosters, resource and information sharing are all things we try and bring to the table.However, whether this is accepted or not, very much depends on the organisation involved, and their modus operandi. Some alliances in EVE develop because their leaders have good business sense, focus and strategy, they know what they want for the alliance, and know what they can offer in return. Other organisations build up from a pure quest for power. For these organisations trading and business can take away from this. They prefer to try and do everything in-house as this is perceived as a sign of strength. "We moved a number of agents into their alliance, who could help facilitate the acquisition of the resources we needed. They provided intel, allowing us to conduct our own covert resource gathering, while causing internal disruption where possible." In the latter scenario we have to take a more covert approach, for example one recent alliance, former resident of Fountain, was an alliance called Brutally Clever Empire. We had already moved into the booster production constellation earlier, taking advantage of the chaos there when Band of Brothers pulled out. Not being perceived as a threat by anyone else we were generally low down on the target list and left alone to get on with what we like doing best. When Brutally Clever Empire arrived and claimed the region as their own, they wanted exclusive control of all the region's resources, and allow their in-house booster producers to build up a monopoly on the Exile booster type. However, the stronger boosters need resources from other regions too. It's something which we could easily provide and they tried to negotiate with us over this, however they refused to let us continue our access to our former operational areas – something which we found unacceptable.Without going into too much detail, we moved a number of agents into their alliance, who could help facilitate the acquisition of the resources we needed. They provided intel, allowing us to conduct our own covert resource gathering, while causing internal disruption where possible. We also we hired some mercenaries for a couple of months to harass Brutally Clever Empire, but luckily for us they had made enemies of most of their neighbours. With few friends and allies, and being yet another alliance that puts the wagon before the horse, they quickly collapsed.
Outlaws of EVE Online: Masu'di
Whether prowling low security space hunting for targets or fighting in massive fleet engagements, EVE Online's elite pilots -- called capsuleers -- stride like gods across galactic battle zones, as seen from the perspective of normal ship captains and crews. In this setting of New Eden, a capsuleer's neural interface with the ship allows his thoughts to regulate the vessel's performance; the will to survive coupled with fast reflexes equates to greater fortitude and speed in combat. Against conventional fleets, even a single capsuleer reigns supreme... but when faced with others of his caliber, or many of them, a capsuleer seeks every possible edge he can get. Some of EVE's pilots channel their resources into acquiring the most advanced technology, hoping to gain an advantage over their rivals. But others choose to invest in themselves through performance-enhancing drugs. These 'boosters' are outlawed in all secure regions of space, due to their powerful effects on a capsuleer's mind, and thus a magnified lethality of his ship. The demand for boosters is great, but so too are the costs. Boosters are contraband and risky to move in large quantities. Coupled with the arcane processes involved in creating these drugs, those in the know have formed cartels, whose booster production and smuggling operations form the underpinnings of New Eden's black market. The most pivotal figure in New Eden's booster trade is Masu'di, who heads the Hedonistic Imperative drug cartel through the corporate front of Es and Whizz. Their operations are largely hidden, as they dance around the power blocs of the largest capsuleer alliances, subtly influencing or corrupting those who hinder the narcotics trade. Their network operates between the cracks of New Eden's laws and systems, ensuring a steady flow of boosters into any corner of the galaxy where a capsuleer needs a fix.Massively recently spoke with Masu'di about the life of a drug kingpin in New Eden, and the inner workings of the black market in EVE.%Gallery-32364%
Hitachi, Sharp raided on DS screen price fixing suspicions
Price fixing isn't ever fun -- unless you're the company doing it and expect to get away with it, and then it's like a total blast, dude. But hopefully that isn't actually the case with Sharp and Hitachi, whose offices were apparently raided by the Japanese Fair Trade Commission on suspicion of fixing display prices for the DS; Nintendo's throw its hands up in the air exclaiming that it was unaware of the supposed screen cartel, and something else about just when they thought were out, they got pulled back in.Update: A spokesperson for Nintendo of America commented that "The Fair Trade Commission in Japan conducted on the spot investigations with Sharp and Hitachi Displays in Japan with the suspicion that these two companies formed a cartel regarding the prices of LCDs that they sold to Nintendo. At this point in time, Nintendo is not in a position to make any comments on this, except to confirm that Nintendo itself is not being investigated by the FTC."
