If you're European, or you pre-ordered Samsung's Galaxy S III, then you're already registering for that extra Dropbox space, playing with Flipboard or clutching your Olympics tickets. For everyone else, today's the day you can wander down to your local store and buy the flagship handset in the flesh. No-one's certain if you'll be able to grab the handset in Pebble Blue on launch day, so best make sure that you really want the 16GB marble white edition, lest you're disappointed when you arrive in town.

PSA: Samsung's Galaxy S III is out in the UK today! originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 May 2012 04:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

A befuddled Joker once pondered "Where does he get all those wonderful toys?" Soon you'll have a chance to inspire the same sort of wonderment amongst your friends -- at least the more eagle-eyed ones. Nokia has announced it's launching a Batman-themed Nokia Lumia 900, with the minimalist logo of (spoiler alert) Bruce Wayne's alter-ego laser-etched onto the back. It's the same treatment that was given to a special edition Lumia 800 earlier and, no surprise, it'll be available exclusively in Batman's favorite color. It's also exclusive to Europe, at least initially, where it's said to be going on sale in a few weeks. Act fast and you might have yours in time to listen to Christian Bale grumble his way through the conclusion of the Dark Knight Trilogy.

Batman-themed Nokia Lumia 900 coming soon, utility belt clip not included originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 28 May 2012 08:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The European Union has been taking a leisurely pace investigating Google over possible antitrust abuses, but it's now accelerating to a full-on sprint. European Commission competition head Joaquin Almunia has given Google just a "matter of weeks" to propose how it would patch things up and soften fears that it was unfairly pushing its own web services over others. If Google makes the Commission happy, Almunia says, the whole investigation might wrap up and avoid fines. Google hasn't responded yet, but we wouldn't guarantee that it makes a deal: its execs have usually argued that there's nothing keeping users from going to another search site, and the company has been eager to emphasize that competition still exists. That said, Google only has to see what happened to Microsoft to know how expensive an EU antitrust fight can be.

EU competition head gives Google a 'matter of weeks' to offer an antitrust fix originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 May 2012 09:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We all know that Android 1.6 isn't getting any newer, but it's now clear that customers pining for the I'm Watch will need to dig deeply and muster a final bit of tolerance. According to the Italian smartwatch creator, it's made a few changes to the device, primarily to allow for greater application compatibility -- hopefully this means something other than a stale Donut. As for delivery, the company will send out 300 I'm Watches by June 15th and will then use the next month to solicit feedback and conduct final tests. By July 15th, the company will resume delivery for its outstanding orders and expects to fulfill all current orders no later than September 15th. Customers who'd prefer to back out from the deal will have until July 15th to apply for a refund from the company, and as a goodwill gesture, it's offering a 15 percent discount for all those willing to endure the wait. For the complete details, just hop the break.

[Thanks, Darrell]

Continue reading I'm Watch creator explains order fulfillment process, offers 15 percent discount for your patience

I'm Watch creator explains order fulfillment process, offers 15 percent discount for your patience originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 May 2012 04:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

While there's already plenty of excitement around other quad-core Android phones, LG will join the party soon when its Optimus 4X HD launches in a few European countries next month. Germany, Sweden, Great Britain, Italy and Poland are all on deck in June, where this latest Optimus variant will bring a 4.7-inch 720p HD IPS LCD, Tegra 3 CPU (benchmarked and seen in white here) and 2,150mAh battery coupled with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. On the software front, LG is touting its ability to take and share notes with "Quick Memo" (as seen in the Optimus Vu, now updated with the ability to include hyperlinks) as well as new "Media Plex" video playback controls. We got our hands all over this one during MWC 2012 a few months ago so until it drops in your neck of the woods, check out our gallery and video for a closer look or the press release after the break.

Gallery: LG Optimus 4X hands-on

Continue reading LG lines up Optimus 4X HD for launch in Germany, Sweden, Great Britain, Italy and Poland

LG lines up Optimus 4X HD for launch in Germany, Sweden, Great Britain, Italy and Poland originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 May 2012 23:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

European Union countries already had a data roaming cutoff law in place to prevent bill shock after your next Balearic vacation, but the price of the data in question should get much cheaper very soon. The European Parliament has just voted 578 to 10 to cap the price customers pay at no more than 70 Euro cents (91 US cents) per megabyte starting from July 1st, with that price eventually dipping to 45 Euro cents (58c US) a year later and just 20 Euro cents (26 US cents) in 2014. Voice and text price caps are going down to as little as 19 and nine Euro cents (25 and 12 cents US) in that two-year span, and if you're visiting from outside the EU, you'll be glad to hear that the anti-bill shock rule will apply to you this year as well. So, while you still might want to avoid uploading large videos from your phone while in Spain, you'll at least have the option of checking in on Foursquare without having to take out a small mortgage.

Europe votes to cap data roaming prices, will make it cheaper to tweet from Ibiza originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 May 2012 23:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Here's another interesting tidbit from today's HP event in Shanghai: according to Kevin Frost, Vice President and General Manager of Consumer Notebooks Business Unit, 15-inch is currently the most popular laptop screen size in the US, while the folks in China prefer 14-inch offerings. Oddly enough, Kevin wasn't keen on explaining this phenomenon, but he added that 17-inch laptops also do well in Europe and the US, but not in China.

HP's most popular laptop screen sizes: 15-inch in the US, 14-inch in China originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 May 2012 12:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It's not quite a trip around the world, but a trek that Norway's Zero team recently undertook in a pair of hydrogen-fueled cars is certainly an impressive enough feat in its own right. Late last month, they drove two Hyundai Ix35 FCEVs from Oslo to Monte Carlo (admittedly one of the easier ways to technically "cross Europe"), relying solely on the existing hydrogen refueling infrastructure -- that's as opposed to other trips that brought along fuel trucks as backup. As the team explains, the key to the trip was some careful planning at the outset, but they apparently still wound up cutting it close a few times, and were forced to put their hypermiling skills to the test. Not surprisingly, they found that the hydrogen infrastructure still needs to be considerably improved for such trips to become commonplace, but they seem hopeful that things could soon improve.

Norway's Zero team crosses Europe in hydrogen cars without a backup originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 06 May 2012 10:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The hottest tech news of the day in Europe will undoubtedly be the next Galaxy phone, launching tonight in London. Music fans on that side of the pond woke up to another surprise, however, with the launch of Rdio's online streaming service in France and the UK. Pricing starts at £4.99 (about $8) per month for unlimited web streaming, jumping to £9.99 (roughly $16) when you add mobile support. Ready to rock? Hit up the source link below for a six-day free mobile trial, without any need to hand over those precious credit card deets.

Rdio grows its European presence, hits France and the UK starting at £4.99 per month originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 May 2012 06:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The high end edition of LG's new L-Style Optimus line is ready to roll, as the company announced the Optimus L7 is available in various "major" European locales before heading to Asia and the rest of the world later. In case it's been forgotten in the midst of its fellow L-branded smartphones like the L3 that launched in March, the L7 is an Android 4.0 handset with a 4.3-inch screen and 8.7mm-thick frame. Check out our hands on impressions from MWC or the press release after the break for more info, though it will likely appear on a carrier nearby sooner rather than later.

Gallery: LG Optimus L-series hands-on at MWC 2012

Continue reading LG's Optimus L7 brings ICS, 4.3-inch screen to market starting today

LG's Optimus L7 brings ICS, 4.3-inch screen to market starting today originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 May 2012 23:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

While the latest LTE and HD equipped addition to LG's Optimus line has already landed across Asia (Korea, Japan) and North America (US - AT&T, US - Verizon, Canada) under a few different names, the newly rebranded Optimus True HD LTE is finally prepared for a European debut. As seen by the flags flying above, this week LG will begin rolling out to Portugal, Germany and Sweden, with Britain and France on deck for the second half of the year when LTE service is available. The other flags present represent further Asian rollouts in Hong Kong and Singapore. The plan, described in the Korean press release linked below (Update: English PR after the break), is apparently to make LG synonymous with LTE, although we can't see how renaming its current dual-core standard bearer every other week is helping.

Continue reading LG Optimus True HD LTE's European assault begins in Portugal, Germany and Sweden

LG Optimus True HD LTE's European assault begins in Portugal, Germany and Sweden originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Apr 2012 00:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Wouldn't ya know it, but Panasonic was spot on with its announcement of the Eluga smartphone's European arrival this month. The elegant, waterproof handset is now available unlocked from Expansys, where it retails for £369 and approximately €460, with slight variations among countries. While the phone supports quadband GSM, its UMTS / HSPA connectivity is limited to the 2100MHz and 900MHz bands, which makes it less than ideal for North American use -- though, if you really want one, it seems safe to peg this one in the $600 territory.

Similarly available through NTT DoCoMo as the P-04D, we first managed to get a hands-on with the Eluga at Mobile World Congress. For those in need of a quick refresh, the phone features a TI OMAP 4430 SoC with a dual-core 1GHz CPU, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of built-in storage, a 4.3-inch qHD Super AMOLED display, an 8 megapixel rear camera and a rather paltry 1,150mAh battery. The Eluga includes a heavily-skinned version of Android 2.3.5, although an upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich has been pegged for release this summer. The phone represents Panasonic's return to the smartphone arena, and while it's a bit behind the curve, it's no doubt a fine starting point.

Panasonic Eluga now available unlocked in Europe, yours for £369 or €460 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Apr 2012 04:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Aside from a very desirable white edition, Nokia's Lumia 900 hasn't quite caught up with the color explosion that characterized the Lumia 800's launch. It looks like it's getting there, with a magenta variant spotted at Finnish retailer, Gigantti. At the moment, availability is posited for the vague area of May -- matching those mid-month dates we've been hearing -- but the site is still taking pre-orders ahead of any concrete launch day. You can volunteer your details at the source below.

Nokia Lumia 900 blushes, new magenta version revealed at Finnish e-tailer originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Apr 2012 07:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

For those that still keen to dabble with the world of 3D we've got some good and some bad news. While the Optimus 3D Max has made its first arrival in Europe, launching in Germany today, it looks like the phone won't be docking at British ports. A spokesperson at LG told us there were currently no plans to bring the device across to the UK, although its L-style series and the quad-core flagship, the Optimus 4X HD, look set to receive wider adoption. The Optimus 3D Max is the brutally carb-free version of LG's original 3D phone, now lighter and thinner but still gnawing on last year's Android Gingerbread. Pricing hasn't been announced for Germany, but LG tells us that it will be on the premium end of the smartphone scale, with pricing dependent on carriers. You get the full view of the hardware and its three-dimensional chops in the press release after the break. Active shutter glasses not required.

Continue reading LG Optimus 3D Max launches in Europe, won't be coming to the UK

LG Optimus 3D Max launches in Europe, won't be coming to the UK originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Apr 2012 06:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

UK mobile giant Vodafone is planning to buy up commercial network provider Cable & Wireless for just over £1 billion ($1.7 billion). If successful, it'll gain a national fibre-optic broadband network (separate to BT and Virgin Media's), a large portfolio of business customers and a backbone venture that connects 150 countries with undersea cables. The latter will probably be sold off so that Vodafone can concentrate on winning more enterprise customers from its rivals while also easing the burden on its own network. It's also worth pointing out that C&W previously offered retail broadband and cable services, but any notion of Vodafone using this acquisition to offer the same would be pure guesswork.

Vodafone looking to buy Cable & Wireless, just can't resist that fibre-optic infrastructure originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Apr 2012 05:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Walmart's Vudu service will be dipping a toe in foreign waters for the first time, with a planned expansion that could see it landing in as many as 30 new countries. Mexico will be the first to get the service -- some time in June -- before it continues in a southerly direction toward other Latin American states. The rest of the expansion will cover Europe (including the UK and Ireland) and Asia, but won't happen until later on in the year. While Netflix has already beaten a path away from US shores, Walmart clearly hopes its strong retail presence (5000 stores in 26 countries) will help it earn more than just a tourist visa.

Walmart to unleash its Vudu magic on South America, Europe, Asia originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Apr 2012 01:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Amazon is now shipping preorders for its Kindle Touch and Kindle Touch 3G in both the UK and Germany, a week ahead of schedule. While eager e-reader... readers in the likes of France, Italy and Spain have to wait a little longer, Germans and Brits can expect their orders to arrive starting tomorrow, with stock also available in bricks-and-mortar options including John Lewis, Dixons, Argos, Carphone Warehouse, Currys, PC World and Tesco. Alas, there's still no news of a Eurozone arrival date for the Kindle Fire. We assume our European readers are still willing to wait, right?

Update: Amazon has contacted us stating that the devices have actually "started shipping to customers in France, Italy and Spain from the respective sites (Amazon.fr, .it and .es), as well as the UK and DE."

Continue reading Kindle Touch gets early release in UK and Germany (update)

Kindle Touch gets early release in UK and Germany (update) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 Apr 2012 09:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Despite the many advantages of digital broadcast television, the transition is separating Europeans from a reliable source of information known as teletext. Citizens of London are the latest to experience the loss, as analog signals in the region were switched off just yesterday. Ceefax, a service of the BBC, has provided millions of Britons with news, sports, weather, television listings, subtitles and games for the past 38 years, and is now accessible only in Kent, Sussex, north-east England and Northern Ireland. Soon, it may cease to exist altogether.

Seen as a precursor to the internet, teletext is a free service that's heavily rooted in analog PAL signals, where small packets of data are sent in the vertical blanking interval, which is otherwise unnoticed by viewers. Because the information is broadcast, users were never subject to network congestion, and only needed to wait a brief moment for their desired page to be transmitted -- more advanced televisions even cached this information locally. As part of the airwaves, the service is naturally free, and in that sense, it lacks a suitable replacement. As with all progress, however, there are casualties, and teletext was an unfortunate bystander. Those who cherished the service can take a moment to relive the memories in the links below.

Londoners mourn as teletext goes dark, a victim of the DTV transition originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 Apr 2012 00:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Dearest RIM, Microsoft, Intel and Sony:

Stop spending millions on mildly successful advertising campaigns. Just modify a delivery scooter to shout your brand name between gear shifts.

Respectfully,

A now-loyal Domino's Pizza customer.

This talking Domino's Pizza scooter will make your day infinitely more awesome (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Apr 2012 20:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

All things I'm Watch went a bit quiet following the unveiling of its latest series of smartwatches at CES 2012 several months ago. Now there's finally been an update -- we've heard from a kindly reader that the Italian manufacturer is now ready to deliver on its preorders, requesting a final confirmation of delivery details before they leave the warehouse. Those willing to stump up the substantial amount -- prices start from €340 ($445) -- for these sapphire glass-coated timepieces will get to dabble with a watch-friendly version of Android 1.6. While this means the device will only be able to access a fraction of Google's app catalogue, at least there's a whole gamut of colors and material finishes to choose from -- with the requisite price difference, of course.

[Thanks Owen]

PSA: I'm Watch smartwatch series ready to ship, as soon as it confirms the destination originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Apr 2012 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Reuters reports that four big European carriers are disappointed by Nokia's Lumia range and its ability to compete with the big hitters from Apple and Samsung. None of the naysayers have been named, but an executive from one of the companies has been quoted as saying that "no one comes into the store and asks for a Windows Phone" and that Lumia handsets would be "easier to sell" if they ran Android. Another said Nokia should "lower the price" in order to make the Lumia range a loss leader and "get it out of the door." Meanwhile, AT&T claims to be having a different experience in the U.S., having gone to unusual lengths to market the Lumia 900 (even if that recent Time Square fandango was all Nokia) and now seeing it sell out in "many stores." That proactive approach appears to contrast with the attitude taken by some of Reuters's European insiders, who insist that all they can do is "open our stores to [Nokia] and train our staff to sell the phones."

European carriers take shots at Nokia's Lumia line without leaving cover originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Apr 2012 05:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Google has offered its email client to willing Germans since 2005, however the typical Gmail domain had already been snapped up by a local businessman in Germany and the company had to plump for the longer googlemail.de addresses. Now, according to the Financial Times, both the Gmail trademark and domain were transferred across to Google earlier this month, although there are no specifics as to how much money changed hands in the deal. With that minor issue sorted, Google packs its backs for its next destination -- maybe it should try Iran.

Google finally grabs Gmail domain and trademark in Germany: users can drop the 'oogle' originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Apr 2012 15:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

PSA: Sony details ICS rollout for 2011 Xperia smartphones, Nordic regions to get first dibs originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Apr 2012 14:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

European Commission outlines plans for Internet of Things regulation originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Apr 2012 08:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Kindle Touch update adds Europe-friendly languages, landscape mode originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Apr 2012 09:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

SIM-free Nokia 808 PureView up for pre-order in Italy, expected to launch in May originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 Apr 2012 07:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Illuminated Kindle e-readers could arrive this year, also, might not originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 07 Apr 2012 09:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Motorola GLEAM+ shimmies onto shelves, into European pockets

Motorola GLEAM+ shimmies onto shelves, into European pockets originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Apr 2012 06:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Motorola Droid RAZR Maxx set to hit Europe and Middle East in May

Motorola Droid RAZR Maxx set to hit Europe and Middle East in May originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Apr 2012 18:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Report: Google TV coming to Europe in September originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Apr 2012 07:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Motorola now officially being investigated for abusing its patents in Europe

Motorola now officially being investigated for abusing its patents in Europe originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Apr 2012 07:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Expedia adds to Google's EU antitrust woes, decision expected after Easter originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 31 Mar 2012 13:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Nano-SIM standard vote postponed while RIM accuses Apple of cheating

Nano-SIM standard vote postponed while RIM accuses Apple of cheating originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Mar 2012 04:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Rdio continues its plans for world domination, focusing on Europe originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Mar 2012 12:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

HTC's One series inches closer to expectant customers, with Central Europe apparently set to get the device next Monday. According to The Unwired, shoppers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland will all be able to pick up any device from HTC's 2012 catalogue, including the quad-cored One X (€599, around $800), the micro-arc oxidized One S (€499, around $670) and the somehow retro One V (€299, around $400). German carrier O2 has also backed up these claims, announcing that it expects to stock both the One X and One S next week. You'd best grab that passport and a wad of euros.

HTC reveals Central Europe release date, pricing for One X, One S and One V originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Mar 2012 07:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

While Americans have more than one way to consume those e-ink verses, those in the old country are largely stuck with Amazon's still-expanding Kindle family or e-reader hardware lacking the clout of a publisher. But Europeans may get the chance to pick up a Nook in the future, following news that Barnes & Noble has filed for a new digital company in Germany. Add in the publisher's recent (and slightly bizarre) meet-up in London with app developers and it looks likely that we'll be seeing some European presence from the bookseller in the future -- hopefully with all the associated content already seen on the other side of the Atlantic.

Barnes & Noble establishes German base: Will the Nook visit Europe? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Mar 2012 06:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Kindle Touch gets April 27th release date in Europe

Kindle Touch gets April 27th release date in Europe originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Mar 2012 18:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Panasonic Eluga gets official launch date in Japan and Europe

Panasonic Eluga gets official launch date in Japan and Europe originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Mar 2012 07:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Orange says it'll bring LTE to all of its EU markets by 2015

Orange says it'll bring LTE to all of its EU markets by 2015 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Mar 2012 06:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apple's nano-SIM proposal draws fire from Motorola, Nokia, RIM originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Mar 2012 00:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.