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Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1v available tomorrow for €590, starting with Portugal
Some lucky Aussies might have been able to pre-order the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1v ahead of the rest of the world, but it turns out the Portuguese will actually be taking this Honeycomb tablet home first, starting tomorrow. Originally known as the Galaxy Tab 10.1 but quickly superseded by a slimmer, impending model, said transitional device is now listed on Vodafone Portugal's website with a more delightful €589.90 ($860, which is no doubt off-contract) tag to go with its HSPA+ radio, along with a big red "available from April 26th" stamp. We dug through Vodafone's other European sites and the only country that also mentions this Tegra 2 slate is the Netherlands, though it only indicates a "week 17" launch -- in other words, any time between now and May 1st. If you're in Europe and don't mind this slightly out-of-date whopper, be sure to check back as we'll be keeping our eyes peeled for more details. [Thanks, Carlos O.]
Microsoft unites with former exec in building a 'smart city' in Portugal
If you want better cities, goes the theory herein, you'll have to start at their very foundations. Steve Lewis, ex-Microsoftie and current CEO of Living PlanIT, has a vision for how to make our cities smarter and more sustainable, and it starts literally at ground level, with the installation of smart sensors into buildings as they're being built. The appeal of his company's ideas has already attracted some tech luminaries as partners, Cisco being among them, and now Microsoft has also been signed up -- to provide the cloud framework required to keep all those sensors talking with its Azure platform. Paredes, a Portuguese municipality, will play host to one of the first such projects, eventually providing homes for nearly a quarter of a million people and costing a staggering €10 billion ($14.1b) to complete. To understand the synergistic benefits of having your life monitored by an omniscient Urban Operating System sentinel, skip past the break for a press release and explanatory video.
Paper batteries recharge from moisture in the air, seemingly defy laws of nature
Some like working with clay, some like carving from stone, others etch out of silicon, but the team at CENIMAT apparently really likes plain 'ol paper. The researchers there proved they could print transistors on the stuff back in 2008, and now they're making paper batteries too. But that's nothing new, others have made mache cells for years. What's exciting here is that these batts charge with water, and they don't need very much of the stuff to juice up. Just 40 percent humidity in the air is enough to regain their potency, a threshold that might put them out of the realm of possibility for self-recharging power for Vegas lights, but something tells us the voltage coming out of this pulp couldn't cope with that kind of strain anyhow. [Thanks, Manuel]
Apple TV ready to launch in Taiwan, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Portugal, and Belgium
9to5 Mac speculates that the second generation Apple TV is set to launch in Taiwan, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Portugal, and Belgium tomorrow morning. Last night, the night before the second gen Apple TV went on sale in Italy and Switzerland today, anyone who clicked on the original Apple TV link on the country's Apple Online Store were taken to an error message. Today, that error message is being replicated in the Apple Online Stores of Taiwan, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Portugal, and Belgium when shoppers click on the same Apple TV link. While this does seem to signify that the new Apple TV is set for imminent release in seven new countries, it's unknown if HD movie and TV rentals will appear in those countries' Apple TV iTunes store. We'll keep an eye out for official news that Apple TV is ready to launch elsewhere, and let you know when we hear more.
Spain, Portugal vow to kill off roaming fees
The European Union has been trying to put a tight lid on roaming charges between its member nations for some time (just imagine if you paid roaming fees on interstate travel, Americans!), but it's been slow going -- though there are new per-minute caps in place this year, the fact that the concept of roaming exists at all, particularly when only a handful of companies control all of Europe's wireless landscape, is a little crazy. Well, Europeans, we might recommend using your friends in Spain and Portugal as shining examples of how you can live in a roaming-free future, because the friendly neighbors have agreed in principle to eliminate roaming charges as part of a broader plan to improve Spanish-Portuguese trade. Details have yet to be hammered out -- and therefore, affected carriers aren't yet commenting -- but if this works well, we can only hope the love will spread Europe-wide on the double.
Nissan Leaf launches in Europe, takes us for a drive
26,000 people can't be wrong, right? That's the current tally of Leaf pre-orders that Nissan has collected from US and Japanese drivers excited by its all-electric hatchback. Yesterday, the car that's built to plug into the same wall outlet as your toaster held its official pan-European launch party -- with the UK, Ireland, Netherlands, and Portugal getting the first deliveries in early 2011 -- and we were on site to grab a few closeup pictures and some precious time in the driver's seat. American drivers should look out for a new set of keys in their mailbox this December, so there's probably no better time than now to give them a preview of what they're getting themselves into. Jump past the break for more on the Nissan Leaf.%Gallery-105887%%Gallery-105918%
The iPhone 4 comes to Portugal at a 'louco' price
The good news: Portugal is getting the iPhone 4 next week. On August 27, mobile provider Optimus will start selling the iPhone 4 (here's a Google-translated link for the Portuguese-impaired). The bad news: the price is going up by 70 euros, meaning Portuguese customers will pay more for the iPhone 4 than just about anybody else. I thought we had it bad in New Zealand, where we pay NZ$1299 (about US$918) for an unsubsidized 32 GB iPhone 4. But at 769.90 euros, a 32 GB iPhone 4 costs nearly NZ$100 (US$71) more in Portugal than in New Zealand, where mobile handset prices are usually among the highest in the world. The 16 GB iPhone 4, at 679.90 euros, is an even worse deal: over NZ$130 more (US$92) than the New Zealand price. I've never been thrilled with handset prices in New Zealand, but we are kind of in the middle of nowhere, so it's almost excusable. It makes much less sense for the Portuguese to have to pay such a high premium for the iPhone 4. Optimus hasn't offered any reasons for raising the price by 70 euros, and I have to wonder how happy Apple is with the decision -- rumor has it that Vodafone's bungled launch of the iPhone 4 was precipitated by pricing disputes between the two companies, so it'll be interesting to see if something similar plays out in Portugal.
Gigabyte's 'Codfish' Android phone comes to Portugal as the 'Boston'
We doubt Bostonians appreciate being cast as obsolete, cheap, or chock-full of plastic -- but for whatever reason, Portuguese carrier Optimus has recently started offering Gigabyte's so-called Codfish as the Boston (not to say the name "Codfish" is any more accurate). The phone's actually not a bad way to get into Android cheaply, we suppose, featuring a 3.2-inch display, WiFi, Bluetooth, and a 5 megapixel camera for €160 (about $201) -- but the problem we see is that Android 1.6 is looking awfully long in the tooth at this point, particularly for a newly-released device. With any luck, Optimus can swiftly deliver an update, lest Boston's good name be sullied any longer than it needs to be. [Thanks, SmoothMarx]
Portuguese carrier TMN pairs Samsung Blue Earth with world's first paper SIM card
Tiny SIM cards seems like the last thing worth worrying about in our bid to save the environment one tree at a time -- but let's not forget that you end up throwing away about 80 percent of the card as soon as you pop the actual chip out and stick it in your phone. Portuguese carrier TMN has rolled out what it claims to be the world's first recycled paper SIMs in combination with the release of the Samsung solar-charging Blue Earth handset, delivering a powerful one-two combo of feel-good environmental responsibility that should boost your karma for a solid day or two (if not more). You can't get the paper SIM with TMN's other devices just yet, but in the meantime, you can pick up the Blue Earth package for a stout €239 ($318). [Thanks, Ricardo]
Blockbuster files for bankruptcy in Portugal, blames internet piracy
Don't start lining up the global dominos just yet but Blockbuster is filing for bankruptcy in Portugal. In the 90s, an era predating internet streaming and digital downloads, Blockbuster was rocking some 100 27 stores in Portugal. Today that number is around 17, most of which are struggling to survive. Blockbuster blames government's flaccid response to internet piracy for its insolvency. And here we thought short-sighted executives distracted by their brick-n-mortar profits carried some of the blame. Update: There were once 27 Blockbuster stores in Portugal, not 100. The 100 number from the machine translation is the approximate number of employees at risk of losing their jobs. [Thanks, Alex P. and Eric L.]
Vodafone Portugal releases IPTV service for Xbox 360
Portuguese digital television service, Vodafone Casa TV, is now available to Gold members of Xbox Live. In fact, the company is even promoting a special IPTV Xbox 360 bundle there, which includes an Elite console, 12 months of subscription for Xbox Live Gold and four games -- Lego Batman, Pure, Fable 2 and Halo 3 -- all for €259 (about $375). The Vodafone Casa TV service not only lets you watch on-demand TV through your Xbox 360, but also grants Portuguese patrons the ability to access content from their set-top boxes and set times for their set-top box to record live television. While users won't be able to directly record content to their Xbox 360, they can still access certain functions of the console while streaming content, including private chat and accepting game invites. Existing Vodafone Casa TV subscribers with an Xbox 360 can snag the software for a mere €9.90. [Thanks, Assassin Monk]
International HD news roundup
Here at Engadget HD, we'd prefer not to just focus on high-def happenings in the US of A. Thus, we round up the best of the best from the international front each week and present it here, bundled together in a single, easy to digest list. If something went down in your corner of the globe over the past seven days, let the rest of the world know it in comments. 'Til next week, Doei!Read - Cabovisâo wants 20 HD channels (Portugal) Read - NGCI Boosts Offerings on SKY Deutschland Read - Ofcom sets out Olympic spectrum plan Read - BBC comedy shows return in high definition: Mitchell & Webb, Michael McIntyre Read - Premiere Germany relaunching July 4 (Thanks, Chris)
Vodafone Portugal hits 16Mbps on HSPA+ trial
We've known that HSPA+ had the potential to deliver internet on-the-go at 20Mbps or so, and we've seen rivaling technologies outpace it in the past few months. That said, real world speeds of 16Mbps ain't nothing to scoff at, and that's exactly the mark which Vodafone Portugal has hit in Lisbon. The carrier, in partnership with Ericsson, was said to be using HSPA+ 64QAM technology, which touts a theoretical maximum download speed of 21.6Mbps. We're even told that Voda believes the speeds could be pushed as high as 28.8Mbps with MIMO functionality, though there's no word given on when this stuff would be available to the general populace. Soon, please?[Via RCRWireless]
Portugal signs up for 500,000 Intel Classmate laptops
Looks like Intel's clearing out all its Classmate inventory in preparation for that new model -- it just inked a deal with Portugal for 500,000 of the chubby gray laptops. The Classmates will be manufactured in Portugal as part of the deal, and the final subsidized cost to students will vary based on each family's income, with a max of €50 ($78). Kids should be getting their new machines at the start of the new school year, so it looks like things should be moving along quickly here.
Sarah's Emergency Room: think Doctor Dash
Portugal probably doesn't spring to mind as a hotbed of video game development, but the strangely named GameInvest is based in beautiful Lisbon and its first title, Sarah's Emergency Room, "revives the time management genre with fun, challenging levels and a frenetic pace with simulation management skills." The game is being developed for the Nintendo DS, Wii, PlayStation Network, Xbox Live Arcade and PC platforms and allows you to assume the role of a graduate nursing student named Sarah as she moves from California to manage a busy emergency room in Arkansas. There "she discovers that managing an emergency room is a bit harder than she expected." Nothing like gender stereotyping with a female nurse who thinks life is hard. What's next, Sarah's Lunch Rush Hour where she runs coffee and waffles?
Portugal Telecom / ZON expands their HD offerings in Portugal
Good news, Portugal. Two of the nation's most prominent DTH providers have just upped their respective antes, so we'll dig right into the former. PT's Meo service already features National Geographic HD, and as of just a few days ago, Eurosport HD. Now, however, the carrier will be offering up TVI to its IPTV / satellite customers in order to broadcast Euro 2008 to its customers. Oddly enough, we're told the addition of TVI (in HD / SD) will be only for Euro 2008, though it should become a regular part of the lineup in 2009. Moving on to ZON, it's planning to launch Mov HD and National Geographic HD on June 1st, and just to make sure Euro 2008 is shown in HD, it'll add Sport TV HD here shortly. In September, you can look forward to seeing Cine 1/2/3/4 in HD, and it's expected that these four could end up on PT's Meo service as well.[Thanks, Orlando]Read - Portugal Telecom expansionRead - ZON expansion [PDF]
Orange lands broad iPhone distro deal too
We'll make this brief. Orange spokesperson Therese Wenger told the SDA news agency that it has secured rights to release the iPhone (3G version, presumably) in Switzerland and more than 10 other countries -- take that Swisscom! Other countries include Austria, Belgium, Poland, Portugal, and Romania. And France of course where it's already on sale. See, that was quick and leaves room for a dozen or so other iPhone related announcements today.Update: Official Orange press release now out.[Via 20minuten, thanks Pascal M. and Pae]
Portugal's ZON intros ZON BOX HD DVR
ZON TVCabo, a leading programming provider in Portugal, has introduced an all new HD DVR for its users: the imaginatively titled ZON BOX. The unit boasts a 160GB hard drive, USB 2.0 port, gigabit Ethernet and HDMI / component / S-Video / composite jacks for good measure. We're also informed that the box will come in handy here soon, with National Geographic HD (which recently launched on rival Portugal Telecom), MOV HD and possibly SportTV HD going live. The latter two channels would be dedicated to movies / TV series and sporting events such as Euro 2008, respectively. Unfortunately, we weren't able to solicit pricing information, but feel free to give the carrier a call and see what this gem will run you.
National Geographic HD heads to Portugal Telecom's IPTV service
Swisscom isn't the only foreign IPTV provider bolstering its lineup -- oh no, Portugal Telecom is joining in on the fun by adding nine new channels to its Meo TV service. Unfortunately, only one (National Geographic HD) is in high-definition, but at least it's a start, right? For more details on the newcomers and the new packages alike -- most of which will be available for free this month -- check out the read link below.
NiGHTS Wii screens, interview found in Portuguese game mag
French gaming site Jeux France has what it claims is the first images of the new NiGHTS title for Wii, from magazine scans of Portuguese magazine Maxi Consola. (We're so multicultural.) So far, NiGHTS has been an extremely persistent rumor; this is the either the first concrete evidence of the title's existence or the cleverest Photoshop effort to date.The magazine scans feature an interview with Takashi Iizuka (here written Takeshi), a Sega developer who's had a hand or two in every Sonic game since 1994 as well as the original NiGHTS Into Dreams. Our Portuguese is a bit pathetic, but Play Nintendo has translated the interview. The game is purported to have a two player mode and some online capabilities. Jeux France purports that Sega will make an announcement early April.
