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NBC promises it'll be easier to watch the Olympics in 2024 on Peacock
The company says the streaming service will cover every sport and event.
Paris votes to ban e-scooter rentals
Paris residents have dealt a blow to e-scooter rental companies Lime, Tier and Dott, voting in an 89 percent landslide to ban "trotinettes" from streets.
Lime begins trialing shared electric mopeds
It will also support the company’s ambition to become a transportation platform.
Uber is adding electric mopeds to its app in Paris
Beginning next month, Uber users in Paris will be able to book trips on Cityscoot's electric mopeds through the app. This marks the first time Uber has offered e-mopeds through its app, and the company says it's part of its goal to become a one-stop shop for all transportation needs.
Paris is testing 'noise radar' that will automatically ticket loud cars
Parisians with powerful cars might want to think carefully before showing off their rides. Parts of the city (most recently the suburb of Villeneuve-le-Roi) are testing a "noise radar" system from Bruitparif that can pinpoint loud vehicles and, eventually, ticket them. The system uses four microphones to triangulate the origins of a sound and link it with CCTV footage to pinpoint whoever's making the racket.
Apple taps renowned artists for AR art walks
Apple has been pushing its way into the world of augmented reality for years. Now, it wants to get more users involved. Working with artists like Nick Cave, an American fabric sculptor and performance artist, Apple has installed AR art in public spaces in San Francisco, New York, London, Paris, Hong Kong and Tokyo. Users in those cities can sign up for a free Today at Apple experience called [AR]T. It involves an interactive walk to tour the AR installations, an in-store session that teaches the basics of creating AR using Swift Playgrounds and an AR installation in the store.
Paris may offer flying taxis to 2024 Olympics guests
You can be sure that transportation will be a nightmare for many people attending the 2024 Paris Olympics, but technology could make it slightly more bearable. Airbus, Aeroports de Paris and the Paris Transport Authority are exploring the feasibility of using autonomous flying taxis to carry visitors from Charles de Gaulle Airport into the city. When it takes roughly an hour to get into Paris using a bus or train, this could save valuable time that would be better spent finding your hotel and, you know, enjoying the Olympics.
On May 20th, the kilogram will no longer be defined by a lump in France
On May 20th, World Metrology Day, the scientific community will officially change the definition of the kilogram. For 130 years, the kilo has been defined by a physical cylinder of platinum-iridium alloy, known as Le Grand K and stored in a vault outside of Paris. But every time scientists handled it, the cylinder lost atoms -- an estimated 50 micrograms over its lifetime. So, beginning Monday, the kilogram will officially be measured by a physical constant known as the Planck constant.
Ubisoft is donating $564,000 to help rebuild Notre-Dame
Following the fire that devastated Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris this week, Ubisoft has pledged €500,000 ($564,000) to help restore the iconic church. The studio, which faithfully recreated Notre-Dame in Assassin's Creed Unity, is also offering that game for free until April 25th on PC to honor the landmark. "We want to give everyone the chance to experience the majesty and beauty of Notre-Dame the best way we know how," Ubisoft, which is headquartered in France and has studios in Paris, said.
Paris sues Airbnb over illegal rental ads
France is determined to prevent home sharing services from allowing makeshift hotels, and that now includes court action. The city of Paris is suing Airbnb over 1,000 ads it says violate a law designed to limit homeowners to renting their places for no more than 120 days per year. It's not clear just what terms the ads violated, but French law requires a registration number inside those ads to ensure they aren't venturing past the 120-day mark. The aim is to "send a shot across the bows" and end near-constant rentals that "spoil some Parisian neighborhoods," city mayor Anne Hidalgo told Le Journal du Dimanche in an interview.
'Overwatch' heads to Paris in latest map
The newest Overwatch map replaces team-chat whine with fine wine. The Paris map is live right now for PC players in the PTR program, allowing battles to break out along the Seine. It's an Assault map, and it features a few notable spots, including a cabaret, bakery and a grand palace in the heart of the city. After some time in PTR, it'll hit PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC for all players.
Twitter and Fox Sports are making a live show for the Women's World Cup
Following their partnership during the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Twitter and Fox Sports are now teaming up on video content for another major FIFA sporting event. For the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup, which is being played in France this summer, Twitter and Fox Sports are bringing back their live soccer (er, football) show from last year, though it'll now be called FIFA Women's World Cup Now. The premise is the same as the original program: It'll be live-streamed on Twitter, feature match previews, recaps, highlights, guest appearances and, naturally, the best tweets from users across the site.
Paris launches world's biggest e-bike fleet to curb pollution
Residents of Paris and its suburbs may soon have access to up to 20,000 electric bicycles. Public transit company Ile-de-France Mobilités (IDFM) is launching an e-bike renting scheme called Véligo with 10,000 e-bikes to start with. If that works out, IDFM will expand to 20,000, which would make it the world's largest electric bike rental system.
Overwatch League adds teams from Toronto, Vancouver and Paris
Activision Blizzard has rounded out the Overwatch League ranks for the second season of Overwatch's top-level professional competition. The company confirmed that eight more teams will compete, including new additions Toronto and Vancouver (the first Canadian teams in the league), along with Paris, which is the second European squad after the 2018 champions London Spitfire. Teams from Washington, DC, and Chinese cities Chengdu and Hangzhou are also part of the 2019 lineup. They join the previously announced Atlanta and Guangzhou teams as the number of rosters rises to 20 this time around.
Airbnb strengthens Paris presence thanks to Century 21
Airbnb has clashed with cities where it operates for awhile over regulations specific to each. Back in December, authorities in Paris started cracking down harder on the service to comply or face legal consequences. Airbnb has a new strategy to play by the rules in France's most populous city: Partnering with international real estate company Century 21 to make sure everyone gets their cut.
Oppo will revive its Find smartphone line on June 19th
Just recently, Oppo launched a dedicated website for the Find series, hinting at its return after four years of hibernation. Now, the Chinese phonemaker has confirmed that the line is coming back: Oppo will launch its new flagship, the Find X, at the Louvre Museum in Paris on June 19th. It's keeping details under wraps until the event, but in the press materials it sent out, the company listed all the technologies it launched since it launched the last Find phone back in 2014. It mentioned the 5x dual camera zoom it debuted at MWC 2017, its fast charging tech that can fully charge a 2,500 mAH battery in 15 minutes, as well that time it demoed a 5G video call using 3D structured light technology.
Uber is building a flying taxi technology center in Paris
Uber has wildly ambitious plans to send flying taxis soaring over cities, but building them will be orders of magnitude harder than anything it has ever done. As such, the company announced that it will open a Paris lab dedicated to its Elevate program called the Advanced Technologies Center in Paris (ATCP). Uber will spend €20 million ($23.4 million) over five years to develop the AI algorithms, air traffic control and other tech necessary for the service.
Projection is the ideal medium for Gustav Klimt's electric art
Austrian artist Gustav Klimt is celebrated for his boldly-colored paintings that marry portrait, decorative, symbolic and abstract art forms. Nowadays, they sell for vast fortunes at auction, making it difficult to see a comprehensive collection in one place. A brand new Paris exhibition space called Atelier Des Lumieres (meaning "Studio of Lights) is showing many of his paintings in a whole new way, by projecting them on 35,000 square feet of space including the walls, floors and ceilings.
Amsterdam will limit Airbnb rentals to 30 days per year
Last year, Amsterdam limited Airbnb rentals to no more than 60 days in a calendar year but that is about to be halved according to a report from DutchNews.nl. The city's executive board agreed to the proposed shortened limit today and housing alderman Laurens Ivens said, "I recognize that reducing the length of time is not the solution to city congestion but it will reduce the problems caused by tourists in some areas and will make it less inviting to use your home as a way to earn money."
Follow our Sony PlayStation Showcase liveblog at noon ET!
In 2015, Sony took the unusual step of doing its PlayStation Showcase, featuring some of its biggest upcoming PlayStation 4 games, at Paris Games Week. After a year off, it's back again in Paris, where we're expecting to hear news about Michel Ancel's WiLD, Detroit: Become Human, Horizon Zero Dawn: The Frozen Wilds and possibly a Destiny 2 expansion pack. Less likely, but not completely impossible, would be updates on a new Spider Man game from Insomniac, God of War and Monster Hunter World. There should be a lot of action, so be sure to tune in to our liveblog right here!
