Engadget

French court rules Google isn't liable for YouTube bootlegs of TF1 TV shows

Jon Fingas — Tue, 29 May 2012 16:02:00 EST

France typically hasn't been kind to Google. Today, though, it's cutting some important slack. A court has ruled that the search firm can't be held liable when YouTube members upload clips of their favorite football matches or movies from local network TF1. As in a case involving Dailymotion last year, the judge saw YouTube as just the host for others' videos rather than having any hand in producing the content itself. Not only does the decision let Google off the hook for a possible €141 million ($177 million) fine, it prevents the company from having to pre-screen every video that might be visible in France -- a difficult challenge for a company that takes 72 hours of new video every minute. Google is still facing less-than-cordial attitudes towards its copyright enforcement in other countries, including a zombie Viacom lawsuit in the US, but it now has some extra ammunition if it wants to cite a precedent.

[Image credit: Premiere]

French court rules Google isn't liable for YouTube bootlegs of TF1 TV shows originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 May 2012 16:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Roku 2 boxes updated for Francophones and English speakers alike

Richard Lawler — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 16:27:00 EST

The latest update for Roku 2 and LT boxes is rolling out to all now, bringing the boxes to v4.6 and reportedly improving system navigation performance "by up to 50 percent". As noticed by Zatz Not Funny when it first started leaking out, this version includes the French language support required by Roku's Canadian launch (that's the channel selection for Canada pictured above) this week, while the official blog notes several other fixes and tweaks that should make launching channels like Netflix and BBC iPlayer a more reliable experience. As usual, it should be pushed to every box over the next couple of days, but you can speed up the process by manually checking for an update. Have an older Roku player? Don't worry, Director of Product Management Tom Markworth closes telling owners to "stay tuned" for future updates coming their way as well.

Roku 2 boxes updated for Francophones and English speakers alike originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Apr 2012 16:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nintendo puts 3DS in the Louvre, France remains generally indifferent

Daniel Cooper — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 13:43:00 EST

Sharing a birthplace with Arséne Wenger, Jean-Paul Satre and Jules Verne, the Louvre is France's most prized national treasure. In partnership with Nintendo, the museum finally replaced those cumbersome handheld guides with 3DS units a fortnight after the anticipated March launch. The consoles will provide a variety of tours, offering detailed lectures around the entire museum, or the Cliff's Notes edition for the lazy connoisseur. Shigeru Miyamoto popped up to demonstrate that you can examine HD snaps and 3D images of the sculptures on show, just in case looking up and seeing it in the ~~flesh~~ stone would be too traumatic.

Continue reading Nintendo puts 3DS in the Louvre, France remains generally indifferent

Nintendo puts 3DS in the Louvre, France remains generally indifferent originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Apr 2012 13:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Canada's Videotron finally delivers tru2way-based illico TV HD DVRs

Richard Lawler — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 12:23:00 EST

We've been waiting for the tru2way-based cable service Videotron promised since the end of 2009, and now it has finally delivered illico Digital TV. The software is being provided by Alticast, while HD DVRs available through Videotron and at retail are from Cisco and Samsung. While it's been a while and we can't quite remember where we put our excitement for all things OCAP (probably tossed when the retail availability dream died), Videotron customers can expect a new HD UI, widgets, and a 500GB DVR. At least in this initial push there's no mention of multiroom capabilities, although there is the ability to view video on demand content on PCs and mobile devices. It will start rolling out April 4th in the Greater Quebec region with other regions following soon, those interested can check out an English-subtitled trailer as well as a Francophone-only presentation video after the break.

Continue reading Canada's Videotron finally delivers tru2way-based illico TV HD DVRs

Canada's Videotron finally delivers tru2way-based illico TV HD DVRs originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Mar 2012 12:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nintendo 3DS tour guides might make the Mona Lisa less underwhelming

Amar Toor — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 08:32:00 EST

Other than wine, cheese and overwhelming apathy, the Louvre stands alone as France's most prized national treasure. It's enormous, it's teeming with art, and it's really old. Starting in March, though, the museum will get an infusion of comparatively new technology, thanks to the Nintendo 3DS. As the AFP reports, Nintendo has agreed to provide the Louvre with some 5,000 pocket consoles, to be offered as digital tour guides for museum patrons. With these devices tucked securely inside their fanny packs, wandering tourists will be able to pinpoint their location within the museum, select themed itineraries, and listen to audio commentary available in seven different languages. The consoles will eventually replace the museum's more traditional audio guides, as part of a wider campaign to bring 21st century technology to the Louvre's 12th century confines. "We are the first museum in the world to do this," Agnes Alfandari, the Louvre's head of multimedia, told the AFP, adding that a slate of dedicated smartphone and tablet apps is also in the works.

[Image courtesy of TrendHunter]

Nintendo 3DS tour guides might make the Mona Lisa less underwhelming originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 16 Dec 2011 08:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google Translate app update adds handwriting recognition, breaks barriers

Amar Toor — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 13:30:00 EST

The Google Translate app for Android received a pretty significant update yesterday, bringing handwriting recognition to its bullpen of functionalities. The app, which added voice recognition back in October, can now recognize handwriting in seven different languages, including English, French, Italian, German, and Spanish. It's probably most important, however, for Chinese- and Japanese-speaking contingents, who can now use their handsets to translate characters that aren't typically featured on English keypads. The update to version 2.3 is available now, at the source link below.

Google Translate app update adds handwriting recognition, breaks barriers originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Dec 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Deezer announces ambitious global rollout, ignores US and Japan

Amar Toor — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 16:04:00 EST

Deezer added a few notches to its music streaming belt yesterday, with the announcement of its long awaited rollout to (nearly) every corner of the globe. The launch, confirmed at Le Web in Paris yesterday, has already brought the service to both Ireland and the Netherlands, with plans to expand across Europe by the end of this month. Users in Canada and Latin America can expect to receive the French service by the end of January, Australia and Africa should see it by the end of February, and everyone else by the middle of next year. Conspicuously absent from that list are the US and Japanese markets, both of which have been passed over "due to market saturation and low growth forecasts," as well as the fact that the two countries comprise "only" 25 percent of worldwide music consumption. Le sigh.

[Thanks, Paulo]

Deezer announces ambitious global rollout, ignores US and Japan originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 09 Dec 2011 16:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Archos CEO wants to create a child-sized robot for less than 300 euros, apparently

Amar Toor — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 12:01:00 EST

Forget all of Archos' tablet and e-reader nonsense. They're just stepping stones on the way to a grander vision -- one rife with home automation and, apparently, bite-sized, budget-friendly robots. That's what CEO Henri Crohas revealed in a recent interview with French daily La Libération, while describing his company's aspirations to create thinner tablets, as well as a "child-sized robot, sold for less than €300." Crohas didn't elaborate upon this remark, transcribed as an "oh by the way" aside, though he did go on to describe Archos as a "genetic anomaly" among European manufacturers, and cited Charles Darwin as one of his most admired thinkers. Infer at your own discretion.

[Thanks, Thocan]

Archos CEO wants to create a child-sized robot for less than 300 euros, apparently originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Dec 2011 12:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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French President Nicolas Sarkozy wants to create music with a tax on ISPs

Amar Toor — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 13:21:00 EST

Nicolas Sarkozy is worried about the future of his country's music industry, and he's turning to French ISPs for help. Speaking alongside other G8 and G20 delegates at the Forum d'Avignon this weekend, Sarko affirmed his commitment to setting up a "national music center" within France, in the hopes of spurring artistic creativity amid a rather dour industrial climate. Modeled on France's National Cinema Center, the system was first proposed back in September by Minister of Culture Frédéric Mitterrand, and, if launched, would be funded by a tax on ISPs. According to Sarkozy, taxing service providers in the name of protecting French art is only fair game. "Globalization [has allowed] the giants of the Internet to make a lot of money on the French market," Sarkozy explained, echoing familiar Gallic attitudes toward online protectionism. "Good for them, but they do not pay a penny in tax to France." He went on to praise his country's Hadopi copyright law for reducing internet piracy by 35 percent, but stressed that the government must do more to protect what could be a dying French commodity: "The day when there is no more music, the day when there is no longer a cinema, the day when there are no writers, what will your generation search for on the internet?" Other things, probably.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy wants to create music with a tax on ISPs originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 Nov 2011 13:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia to release Windows 8 tablets this June, top drawer Lumia in the works?

Amar Toor — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 03:31:00 EST

There's some intriguing Nokia news coming out of France this morning, thanks to Paul Amsellem, head of the company's Gallic outpost. In a recent interview with Parisian daily Les Echos, Amsellem described Nokia's aspirations to regain some of the market share it's lost within France, explaining that his firm is squarely targeting the 60 percent of French users who currently don't own a smartphone. More salient, however, is what the exec had to say about Nokia's plans for future releases. According to Amsellem, Espoo will unveil a new Windows 8 equipped tablet by June 2012. Unfortunately, that's about all he had to say on the subject, but it's certainly enough of a carrot to raise our heart rates -- as are Amsellem's comments on the Lumia 800, which hit French stores yesterday. Comparing the handset to a BMW 5 series, the chief went on to say that Nokia "will soon have a full range with a 7 Series and 3 Series." He didn't elaborate much on this analogy, though its implication is rather self-evident -- new Lumia cousins may be in the works. Of course, it remains to be seen when and if the company will expand upon its Lumia line, though we'll definitely be keeping our yeux on it.

Nokia to release Windows 8 tablets this June, top drawer Lumia in the works? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 Nov 2011 03:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Deezer goes global, streaming music service coming to over 100 new countries

Michael Gorman — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 23:47:00 EST

Many folks here in the good ol' US of A are familiar with streaming music services like Pandora, Rhapsody and Spotify, but may not be aware that Deezer dishes out tunes to those across the pond. Just last month it launched a mobile service on Orange, France's largest carrier, and now the company's looking to gain a far larger geographic footprint. Deezer plans to launch in over 100 more countries in the near future, and is in the process of partnering up with a bunch of other telcos to do it. It's taking an unusual approach to expansion, going for aurally under served areas instead of joining the fray in the biggest music markets in the US and Japan -- Indonesians and Brazilians gotta get down on Friday too, you know. The reason for doing so? Acquiring rights in the US is difficult (and expensive), but global licenses are easier to come by, which lets the Deezer diaspora occur by the dozen. So rejoice music lovers around the world, you'll soon be able to get your Deezer on.

Deezer goes global, streaming music service coming to over 100 new countries originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Oct 2011 23:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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French court reverses DS flash cart ruling, Nintendo smiles

Amar Toor — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 18:13:00 EST

Nearly two years ago, a French court dismissed a lawsuit that Nintendo filed against a group of vendors accused of illegally selling DS flash carts. At the time, the game-maker argued that sales of the cartridges should be halted on the grounds that they could be used to illegally pirate software, but the presiding judge thought differently, countering that the R4-like devices could be used to develop homebrews or other DIY projects. Last week, however, the Paris Court of Appeals overturned the ruling, in a decision that Nintendo has met with understandable delight. In a statement released today, the company confirmed that Divineo SARL and five other flash cart retailers must pay a total of €460,000 in criminal fines, along with €4.8 million in damages to Nintendo, as ordered by the appeals court. Details behind the ruling remain vague, though Nintendo hailed it as a "strong message to French companies... that such activities are illegal and will not be tolerated," and that convicted vendors will "risk prison terms, face substantial fines and obligations to pay damages." Sail past the break to read Nintendo's statement, in full.

Continue reading French court reverses DS flash cart ruling, Nintendo smiles

French court reverses DS flash cart ruling, Nintendo smiles originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Oct 2011 18:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google expands Voice Actions across Europe, with multi-language support (video)

Amar Toor — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 05:05:00 EST

Android users across Europe are waking up to some bonnes nouvelles this morning, because Google has now expanded its Voice Actions service to France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK. Beginning today, loquacious smartphone and tablet users will be able to place calls, send texts and conduct Google searches by speaking into their devices. All you have to do is press the microphone button on your home screen's Google search field and open the Voice Search app, or simply press the physical search button on your handset to bring up the "Speak Now" field. From there, you can begin chattering away in French, German, Italian, Spanish and ~~real~~ British English. Interested parties running Android 2.2 or above can get started by downloading the Voice Search app from the source link below, or by checking out Google's demo video, after the break.

Continue reading Google expands Voice Actions across Europe, with multi-language support (video)

Google expands Voice Actions across Europe, with multi-language support (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 16 Sep 2011 05:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung files French patent complaint against Apple, targets iPhone, iPad

Amar Toor — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 07:10:00 EST

Samsung has retaliated against Apple once again -- this time, in France, where the Korean manufacturer has filed a complaint alleging that Cupertino infringed upon a trio of its patents. Originally filed with a Paris district court in July and announced yesterday, the complaint claims that the UMTS technologies featured in the iPhone and 3G-enabled iPads violate three of Samsung's patents. Unlike a previous case in Germany, which recently resulted in a nationwide injunction against the Galaxy Tab 10.1, this filing "focuses on three technology patents, and not on the design of the tablets," as a Samsung spokesperson was quick to point out. Details on the patents in question remain blurry for the moment, but it'll probably be a while before the case progresses anyway, with the first hearing scheduled for December.

Samsung files French patent complaint against Apple, targets iPhone, iPad originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Sep 2011 07:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC Omega spotted in the wild on Algerian auction site?

Amar Toor — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 05:41:00 EST

Just a few days after its renders first leaked, the HTC Omega has apparently been spotted in the wild, on an Algerian auction site, of all places. French blog Mon Windows Phone claims that the rumored Mango device may sport a Snapdragon MSM8255 1.5Ghz processor, 512MB of RAM and a 3.8-inch LCD, though it's hard to glean too many specifics from the blurry images featured on the auction site. The blog also spotted an eight megapixel camera around back, along with that front-facing shooter that Microsoft's been touting, while the listing claims that the phone boasts up to 8GB of storage capacity. The white-and-gray Omega is rumored to debut at this week's HTC event in London, though details on price and availability remain unclear (the highest online bid, for what it's worth, is currently at around $540). Hit up the links below to see the full array of images.

[Thanks, Gilles]

HTC Omega spotted in the wild on Algerian auction site? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Aug 2011 05:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Broadband claims another: France Telecom putting the kibosh on Minitel

Darren Murph — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 11:00:00 EST

'Tis a sad, sad day for fans of all things retro. In a developed nation dominated by high-speed connections, near-ubiquitous 3G and sub-$€300 computers, it's more than a little astounding that the Minitel is just now being axed by France Télécom. Originally, the aforesaid machine was ordered by the French government in the 1970s "as part of an initiative to get people to share information and, eventually, reduce the consumption of paper." In a bid to rapidly increase adoption, the terminals -- complete with a monochrome screen and bantam keyboard -- were actually doled out to denizens free of charge, with access billed on a per-minute basis. It obviously required a phone line, and things were kept understandably simple; users rarely did more than shop for train tickets, check the occasional bank account and peruse the phone directory. Astonishingly, France's precursor to the internet still raked in €30 million in revenue last year, but the time has finally come to push existing users onto more sophisticated solutions. As of June 30, 2012, "the Minitel will die." 'Course, the service itself will be the only thing shuttered -- those memories are bound to last a lifetime.

Broadband claims another: France Telecom putting the kibosh on Minitel originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Jul 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Screen Grabs: Engadget makes its prime time TV debut on XIII

Richard Lawler — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 18:55:00 EST

Screen Grabs chronicles the uses (and misuses) of real-world gadgets in today's movies and TV. Send in your sightings (with screen grab!) to screengrabs at engadget dot com.

It's been a long time coming but after years of cataloging various gadgets in TV and movies, we finally got our own starring role on the small screen. Our HTML code stood in for the usual computer gibberish pretending to be a dangerous hacking program on an episode of the French / Canadian TV series XIII and was spotted by a keen-eyed (and HDTV-equipped) reader as seen above. US viewers might recognize the title since it was also the source of a videogame in 2003 and a miniseries that aired on NBC in 2009; in its current iteration, the tale of a conspiracy in the US government airs strictly outside our borders. A clip of the scene is included after the break, check for the "5 years old, highly encrypted source code" at about 1:29. Nice job Prodigy Pictures but next time we expect a speaking role, two scenes with co-star Aisha Tyler, a trailer and a bowl of M&Ms -- but only the green ones. Have your people talk to our people, we've been looking for a new career.

[Thanks, Dennis]

Gallery: Engadget on XIII

Continue reading Screen Grabs: Engadget makes its prime time TV debut on XIII

Screen Grabs: Engadget makes its prime time TV debut on XIII originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 06 Jul 2011 18:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google to face €295 million French lawsuit over alleged anti-competitive practices

Amar Toor — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 09:33:00 EST

Google's legal woes are piling up in a hurry. French search engine 1PlusV is suing El Goog over alleged anti-competitive practices, less than a week after the Federal Trade Commission opened a formal inquiry into similar accusations levied stateside. The suit, set to be filed in a Paris court this week, claims that Google uses its market dominance to bury rival search results while unfairly promoting those for its own services. According to 1PlusV, Google "black-listed" 30 of its vertical search engines between 2007 and 2010, making it difficult for the firm to compete. The company is also complaining about having to adopt Mountain View's technology in order to use AdSense and, in total, is seeking €295 million (about $418 million) in damages -- the largest damage claim Google has ever faced in Europe. 1PlusV operates the legal search group EJustice.fr and, along with Microsoft, helped spur an EU antitrust probe against Google last year. The company says its forthcoming lawsuit represents the "logical" next step in its ongoing antitrust crusade, while Google issued a brief statement, saying it "look[s] forward to explaining this."

Google to face €295 million French lawsuit over alleged anti-competitive practices originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Jun 2011 09:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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France bans Twitter, Facebook mentions on TV, in the name of market competition

Amar Toor — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 08:28:00 EST

The words "Facebook" and "Twitter" are now verboten on French TV, because France thought it'd be a good idea to follow its own laws. Last week, the country's Conseil Supérieur de l'Audiovisuel (CSA) ruled that TV networks and radio stations will no longer be able to explicitly mention Facebook or Twitter during on-air broadcasts, except when discussing a story in which either company is directly involved. The move comes in response to a 1992 governmental decree that prohibits media organizations from promoting brands during newscasts, for fear of diluting competition. Instead of inviting viewers to follow their programs or stories on Twitter, then, broadcast journalists will have to couch their promotions in slightly more generic terms -- e.g. "Follow us on your social network of choice." CSA spokeswoman Christine Kelly explains:

"Why give preference to Facebook, which is worth billions of dollars, when there are many other social networks that are struggling for recognition? This would be a distortion of competition. If we allow Facebook and Twitter to be cited on air, it's opening a Pandora's Box - other social networks will complain to us saying, 'why not us?'"

It didn't take long for the US media to jump all over the story, with many outlets citing no less objective a source than Matthew Fraser -- a Canadian expat blogger who claims, in ostensible sincerity, that the ruling is symptomatic of a "deeply rooted animosity in the French psyche toward Anglo-Saxon cultural domination." Calling the ruling "ludicrous," Fraser went on to flamboyantly point out the obvious, stating that such regulatory nonsense would never be tolerated by corporations in the US. But then again, neither would smelly cheese or universal healthcare. Apple, meet orange. Fueling competition via aggressive regulation may strike some free-marketeers as economically depraved, but it certainly won't kill social media-based commerce. Facebook and Twitter have already become more or less synonymous with "social networks" anyway, so it's hard to envision such a minor linguistic tweak having any major effect on online engagement. That's not to say that the new regulation will suddenly create a level playing field -- it won't. But it probably won't put America's social media titans at a serious disadvantage, as some would have you believe. Rather, these knee-jerk arguments from Fraser and others seem more rooted in capitalist symbolism and cross-cultural hyperbole than anything else -- reality, included.

France bans Twitter, Facebook mentions on TV, in the name of market competition originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Jun 2011 08:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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French basketball team 'trains' with robots, learns how to 'win'

Jesse Hicks — Mon, 16 May 2011 15:02:00 EST

To the list of French accomplishments you may now add "robot basketball training" -- at least if the video above is to be believed. But you probably shouldn't believe it when members of Poitiers Basket 86 testify that amusement park rides improved the team's "spatial orientation" and helped them defeat top-ranked Chalon. It'd be different if the "robots" were teaching them perfect free-throw or helping them walk, obviously, but PB86 is known for its innovative advertising, and this seems like a quirky example. Hit the video above to see the pranksters at work, but know that, as with Sartre and Camus, something gets lost in translation.

[Thanks, Antoine]

French basketball team 'trains' with robots, learns how to 'win' originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 May 2011 15:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wysips wants to turn your phone's display into a solar cell (hands-on with video)

Chris Ziegler — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 20:33:00 EST

We chatted with a fascinating French startup by the name of Wysips here at CTIA today that's showing off transparent photovoltaic film -- in other words, it generates power from light... and you can see right through it. It's the only such film in the world, apparently -- and though you can probably imagine a host of possible applications for something like that, turning the entire surface of a touchscreen smartphone into a self-sufficient, solar-powered beast is clearly high on the list. Read all about it after the break!

Gallery: Wysips hands-on

Continue reading Wysips wants to turn your phone's display into a solar cell (hands-on with video)

Wysips wants to turn your phone's display into a solar cell (hands-on with video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 Mar 2011 20:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft's Surface becomes the world's biggest remote control for the AR.Drone (video)

Vlad Savov — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 07:42:00 EST

Whether it's sheer boredom or the pursuit for something awesome, we really don't care -- the motivation behind writing software to allow Microsoft's Surface to control Parrot's AR.Drone is as immaterial as the wireless connection between the two devices. Jump past the break for video of this pair of much-loved niche machines getting their groove on.

Continue reading Microsoft's Surface becomes the world's biggest remote control for the AR.Drone (video)

Microsoft's Surface becomes the world's biggest remote control for the AR.Drone (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 Jan 2011 07:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Evigroup Paddle Pro's steamy demo gives you head tracking, hot flashes

Christopher Trout — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 17:27:00 EST

We've been waiting to see the Paddle Pro in action since Evigroup announced the hands-free tablet last year, but we never imagined our introduction would be this, well... titillating. We previously announced that the tablet would utilize a front-facing webcam to track head movements for cursor control, and as far as we can tell, the system follows through on its promises: the cursor follows the motion of the user's head with fluidity, and -- it seems -- staring at any point on the screen more than a half-second equates to a click of the mouse. Frankly, we're still stumped on the double-click, though. A Paddle Pro sporting Windows 7 runs €990 ($1300), while the same tablet sans the software costs €890 ($1169). We're still jonesing to see its moves in person, but if you're looking for a little tablet eye-candy to spice up your day, check out the unashamedly racy demo after the jump.

[Thanks, WMax]

Continue reading Evigroup Paddle Pro's steamy demo gives you head tracking, hot flashes

Evigroup Paddle Pro's steamy demo gives you head tracking, hot flashes originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Jan 2011 17:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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UK and French carriers working on cellular coverage for Channel Tunnel, aim to finish by 2012 Olympics

Vlad Savov — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 06:42:00 EST

If you live in a technophile city like Taipei, you'll have been enjoying underground 4G for a long time now, but in London the rule is that you have to bid adieu to your mobile connectivity when diving into a tunnel. The city's Mayor has been active in encouraging (forcing?) the major British carriers to install the necessary equipment to provide coverage on the Tube, and now we're hearing that ambition has stretched beyond the nation's borders as well. The Daily Telegraph reports that Vodafone, O2, Everything Everywhere, and Three from the UK along with Orange, SFR and Bouygues from France have agreed to share the cost of putting together a £20 million ($30.8m) project for making cellular coverage possible while traveling through the 31.4-mile Channel Tunnel between the two countries. The goal is to get things up and running by the Olympics in 2012, though we've no indication as to what speeds those wireless data transfers will reach. Still, having some bars is better than none, right?

UK and French carriers working on cellular coverage for Channel Tunnel, aim to finish by 2012 Olympics originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Dec 2010 06:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Freebox v6 Revolution set-top box brings calling, TV and gaming together

Darren Murph — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 08:53:00 EST

Pay-TV operators have been tossing out "quadruple play" bundles for the better part of three years now, but we dare say that none of 'em have come close to nailing it like this. France's own Free, a well-known ISP in the nation, has just introduced the Freebox v6 Revolution, a newfangled set-top box designed by Philippe Starck and engineered to handle just about all of your home entertainment needs. It's stuffed with 250GB of hard drive space, an internal 802.11n WiFi module, Blu-ray drive, inbuilt web browser and Intel's Atom CE4100 media processor. It also ships with a motion-sensing remote, and in short, it's designed to provide live / streaming television options, internet (fiber or DSL is supported), gaming (via a streaming service similar to OnLive) and at-home calling to boot. Free's also planning to dabble in mobile telephony starting in 2012, hence the plans for a quadruple play offering in the not-too-distant future. We're told that a joystick (presumably for getting your game on) is thrown in, as are a pair of powerline adapters in order to easily network it through your abode's power network. The Revolution is up for pre-order now, and depending on how long you've had your current Free STB, it could cost as little as €59.99 or as much as €119.99. The "basic" Freebox service will run €29.99, and once Free goes mobile in 2012, you can add a mobile line for another €29.99.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Freebox v6 Revolution set-top box brings calling, TV and gaming together originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Dec 2010 08:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Gloria to be a 10-inch Windows 7 tablet with slide-out keyboard?

Vlad Savov — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 06:22:00 EST

Like a netbook, only not. The latest thing to drop into our "crazy rumor" inbox is the Windows 7 tablet conceptualized above. Blogeee have it on the authority of two separate sources that Samsung is planning a 10-inch slate device dubbed Gloria, which would run Windows 7 and have a slide-out keyboard. What you see above is only a mockup of how this Gloria might appear -- if she ever does appear at all -- though we're told it'll include a Samsung software overlay to make Windows 7 that little bit more touch-friendly. We've yet to find any other corroboration for this beyond Blogeee's sources, so treat it as the unconfirmed bit of salacious info that it is, but if you must feel hopeful about the future, March and April are the months mentioned for a potential release.

Samsung Gloria to be a 10-inch Windows 7 tablet with slide-out keyboard? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Dec 2010 06:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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La Boite Concept LD120 is the hi-fi desk your laptop's been crying out for (video)

Vlad Savov — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 04:09:00 EST

Why more people aren't doing this kind of thing, we don't know. La Boite Concept, a French design studio with a focus on electronic acoustics, has put together the above piece of laptop-loving music furniture, dubbed the LD120. It features a total of seven drivers, including a down-firing subwoofer and a stereo pair at the rear, the latter of which is intended to bounce sound off a wall and neatly into your ear canal. You'll still only be getting 2.1 audio output at the end of it, but when it emanates from a leather-trimmed desk equipped with its own USB sound card and a cable-tidying channel in one of its legs, we're kind of willing to overlook that little detail. We only wish we could be as blasé about the price, which at €980 ($1,300) places the LD120 strictly on our "hope someone buys us one" list.

[Thanks, Samiksha]

Gallery: La Boite Concept LD120 laptop speaker desk

Continue reading La Boite Concept LD120 is the hi-fi desk your laptop's been crying out for (video)

La Boite Concept LD120 is the hi-fi desk your laptop's been crying out for (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Nov 2010 04:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google ordered to pay libel damages to perturbed gentleman, plans to appeal

Darren Murph — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 11:09:00 EST

You know those search terms that automatically pop up once you begin typing something on Google? Yeah, that's Google Suggest, and it's just an aggregate of the most popular searches based on past requests from users. In other words, Google doesn't actually generate those suggestions itself, nor does some magical alien in its California labs. Despite all that, the Superior Court of Paris has ordered El Goog to shell out €5,000 ($6,721) to an unnamed gentleman who claimed that searches for his name automatically led to a list of suggestions that were damaging to his reputation. The kicker? Said gentleman actually had been "condemned to a prison sentence on charges of corrupting a minor" earlier in his life. Imagine that -- humans interested in his story were searching for his name along with "rape," "rapist" and "prison." Shame on you, Google.

P.S. - Google's appealing, for obvious reasons.

Google ordered to pay libel damages to perturbed gentleman, plans to appeal originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Sep 2010 11:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Branex iTamTam iPod docking stool ensures your backside breaks it on day one

Richard Lai — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 08:19:00 EST

Hey, can you feel the vibe? That was actually your iPhone being snapped off by your reclining-inclined back. Anyhow, some genius at Branex Design of France decided that people would totally buy this $570, 11.5-pound speaker stool. Underneath the hood are four 1.5-inch 10W tweeters and a 5.25-inch 80W subwoofer to shudder your pelvis, all of which contribute to an overall power rating of 70W. There are over ten colors to choose from, too. Let's just hope that Philippe Starck doesn't see this and cry.

Branex iTamTam iPod docking stool ensures your backside breaks it on day one originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 12 Jan 2010 08:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The end of exclusivity leading to big iPhone sales in Europe

Darren Murph — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:21:00 EST

Go figure, right? You get a relatively hot phone out onto more carriers, and just like that, sales increase. It ain't rocket science, buster. As AT&T grins happily while enjoying a death grip on Apple's cash cow here in the States, things are a lot more wide open for consumers across the pond. In both France and the UK, the iPhone has been given the all-clear to be sold on multiple carriers, and according to research from Bernstein, the "widening of the distribution has boosted Apple's value market share to 32 percent in the latest quarter from 21 percent just three months earlier." The notes also mention that Apple's increase is coming at the expense of RIM, with over 600,000 iPhone handsets being sold during Q3 2009 in France alone. The point to all this madness? Oh, not much -- just to tell Sir Jobs that he can count on quite a bit more dough should he decide to sell this elusive "iPhone" device on Verizon in the US of A.

The end of exclusivity leading to big iPhone sales in Europe originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Qooq recipe and cooking tablet launched for French speakers only

Laura June — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:28:00 EST

Cooking tablets and recipe readers have been pretty limited (and not very good) in the past -- but this one looks extremely promising. Called the Qooq, the 10.2-incher boasts -- in addition to a bunch of recipes, of course -- complete meal prep videos, instructions and advice on choosing ingredients, shopping lists, meal planners -- all which can be updated monthly via a subscription service. Specwise, we're looking at a glass touchscreen, Ethernet and USB ports, an SD slot, WiFi, and a built-in stand. The custom UI looks pretty attractive, but there are some drawbacks. The Qooq does not have a browser (though it's got built-in weather, digital photo viewing, and internet radio apps), and it's only available for French language speakers for now. If you do speak the language of love, you can get one of these puppies for €349 (about $513), with the subscription service running an additional €12.95a month (about $19).

[Via Red Ferret]

Filed under: Handhelds, Household

Qooq recipe and cooking tablet launched for French speakers only originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Overheating iPhone reports 'exploding' all over France, Apple responds

Paul Miller — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 12:40:00 EST

Reports of iPhones exploding, starting fires and killing people in cold blood have been around since the inception of the handset. They've also been relatively sporadic, seemingly short on evidence, and Apple hasn't given complaints much credence or response. So when we heard a story from France the other day about a security guard's iPhone "exploding" and sending a shard of glass into his eye (though apparently not serious enough to warrant a hospital visit), it was a little hard to believe, but with a few other stories of cracking screens due to overheating cropping up in Europe over the past couple weeks, French authorities have taken an interest in the story. Anecdotally, a teen says his phone "imploded" in Belgium and gave him a headache, a woman's phone cracked without warning, and ten or so victims in France have come forward to complain of similar problems, picking up the interest of a French consumer watchdog group. Apple is naturally not new to the concept of overheating in its battery-powered devices -- in fact, it's just entered into its first full-on iPod nano recall in Korea of the 1st-gen players after numerous reports of battery faultiness worldwide -- but with 26 million iPhones out and about, and the iPhone 3GS tending to run a bit hotter than its siblings, a systemic problem with one or all models of the handsets isn't something consumers or Apple would take lightly.

Herve Novelli, France's top trade official, met with Apple France's Michel Coulomb today to discuss the problem, and so far Apple is sticking to its guns: it claims that reported incidents are in the single digits, and that all cases it's investigated fully so far have turned out to be blamed on "external force" to the screen. Herve and Michel seem to have parted on friendly terms, promising to keep in touch over the issue, and the EU's alert system for dangerous consumer products (inexplicably dubbed RAPEX) is staying in the loop as well, asking the 27 member nations to keep tabs on the situation. Novelli says it's "too early to blame anyone," and we'd have to agree, but we hope Apple keeps up the (freshly) open communication about this issue going forward.

Read - French minister meets Apple exec over iPhone problems
Read - Apple denies 'exploding' iPhones
Read - Apple denies battery problem with exploding iPhones
Read - Belgian teenager latest victim of exploding iPhone phenomenon

Filed under: Handsets, Apple

Overheating iPhone reports 'exploding' all over France, Apple responds originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 Aug 2009 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Overheating iPhone reports 'exploding' all over France, Apple responds

Paul Miller — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 12:40:00 EST

Filed under: Cellphones

Overheating iPhone reports 'exploding' all over France, Apple responds originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 Aug 2009 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Canal+ live & on-demand TV comes to French Xbox 360s

Richard Lawler — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 11:26:00 EST

The U.S. has Netflix, the UK has Sky TV and now France is getting Canal+ added to the Xbox 360, in a similar deal to the one bringing live and on-demand Sky TV in England, the French will be free to party up and watch more than 3,000 movies and TV shows, catch-up TV, French Ligue 1 soccer games, and headbutt flopping, filthy-mouthed Italians in the chest. No word if sports hooliganism will be supported in this iteration, but judging from the screens the avatar support should also mirror its UK counterpart. This is likely not the end of tie-ups between the two either, with the partnership planned to eventually encompass other Canal Plus & Microsoft products. Check out one additional pic of the updated dashboard after the break.

[Via Reuters]

Continue reading Canal+ live & on-demand TV comes to French Xbox 360s

Filed under: Gaming, HDTV, Home Entertainment

Canal+ live & on-demand TV comes to French Xbox 360s originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Jun 2009 11:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Canal+ live & on-demand TV comes to French Xbox 360s

Richard Lawler — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 11:26:00 EST

Continue reading Canal+ live & on-demand TV comes to French Xbox 360s

Filed under: Set-top boxes, Others, Internet

Canal+ live & on-demand TV comes to French Xbox 360s originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Jun 2009 11:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spintronics magic appears again, aims to vastly accelerate data storage and retrieval

Darren Murph — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 05:21:00 EST

As the list of "awesome things that won't ever happen" grows ever longer, we've got a brilliant team of French physicists who have seemingly concocted a method for storing and retrieving data on hard discs that's around 100,000 times faster than usual. Yes, 100,000x. The trick is based around spintronics, an almost mythical procedure that involves the use of lasers, magnetic sensors and mutant abilities to shuffle data around at a dizzying rate. This particular method, however, improves upon the comparatively sluggish attempts of the past, as it uses photons that "modify the state of the electrons' magnetization on the storage surface." In layman's terms, this all means that the HDD you buy in 2098 will probably operate significantly faster than the one you picked up during Circuit City's going-out-of-business sale. Got it? Good.

Filed under: Storage, Science

Spintronics magic appears again, aims to vastly accelerate data storage and retrieval originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 07 Jun 2009 05:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Numericable brings Ushuaia HD / Eurosport HD to French subscribers

Darren Murph — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 10:03:00 EST

We heard that Numericable was planning to deliver a few new high-def channels to its lineup late last year, and while it has definitely taken longer than locals would have liked, it's hard to complain with new HD channels in Europe -- belated or otherwise. Effective immediately, subscribers interested in watching Ushuaia HD and / or Eurosport HD can select the Premium package in order to tune in, and we're also told that SciFi HD and 13th Street HD should join the party in the near future. In related news, a multi-year agreement between the cable carrier and TF1 will give customers access to TF1 HD, so yeah, even more reason for applause.

Read - Ushuaia HD addition
Read - Eurosport HD addition
Read - TF1 agreement

Filed under: Cable, Sports, New content

Numericable brings Ushuaia HD / Eurosport HD to French subscribers originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Jan 2009 10:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cuckoo clock loudspeaker kicks out the jams, you out of bed

Darren Murph — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 08:43:00 EST

And you thought The Shining cuckoo clock was terrifying -- imagine waking up to this. Designed by French artist Stephane Vigny, the loudspeaker clock does exactly what you'd expect it to. When the time comes, the doors flip open, the bottom woofer extends out and a cacophonic emission of sound is heard as you angrily wake from your slumber. We can't imagine that outstretched woofer surviving too many mornings of you waking on the wrong side of the bed.

[Via MAKE]

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Household

Cuckoo clock loudspeaker kicks out the jams, you out of bed originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Dec 2008 08:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia Build website lets your dream 7310 Supernova come alive

Darren Murph — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 14:02:00 EST

Nokia's 7310 Supernova isn't a half bad looking handset straight from the factory, but you know you're champing at the bit to destroy any and all resell value by slapping a pixelated image of your mum and pop on there. Regardless of how wild, tacky or fashionable your ideas, users in France with the requisite coin can order up a 7310 Supernova with practically any design they want. For the less imaginative, there are a few templates that should still do the trick, but we wouldn't let the opportunity of being able to upload your own JPEG pass you by. The whole Nokia Build concept is still in beta at the moment, so we're anxiously hoping to see it hit other markets in short order.

[Via UnwiredView]

Filed under: Culture, Handsets, Nokia, Misc

Nokia Build website lets your dream 7310 Supernova come alive originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 24 Nov 2008 14:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TNTSAT expands reach in France, going HD in February 2009

Darren Murph — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 15:07:00 EST

TNTSAT, a digital terrestrial free-TV offer via the ASTRA satellite system, has just found its way into 750,000 domiciles across the beautiful French countryside. For those unaware, the service targets regions where TVs cannot receive signals from terrestrial transmitters, and it offers viewers the "full range of French digital terrestrial free-TV channels over the ASTRA satellites, allowing a 100% coverage of France." But that's not all that's being announced today: TNTSAT HD is being launched on February 15, 2009 alongside the launch of free DTT channels in high-def being available on ASTRA; those eager to get a jump on things can expect around ten more SD / HD TNTSAT receivers to become available before the year's end. And to think, we heard that France wasn't exactly rushing to adopt HD back in May -- guess there's nothing like a little kick in the pants to get things going.

Filed under: Industry, Satellite, New content

TNTSAT expands reach in France, going HD in February 2009 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 22 Nov 2008 15:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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