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Uber halts some service in Greece following stricter rules
Uber is still very much at odds with some cities over their attitudes toward ridesharing. The company is suspending UberX service in Athens, Greece from April 10th onward in the wake of newly-approved laws that limit how ridesharing companies can operate in the capital. It's not clear "if and how" Uber can operate under these new rules, the company said, and it doesn't want to resume service until there's an "appropriate solution" that everyone can live with. UberTaxi (which uses taxi drivers) will continue to operate.
Dell Sparta and Athens netbooks, Looking Glass Pro and Streak variants teased on Android roadmap
Good morning to you too, Dell! Android Central's just gotten hold of yet another leak from the Texan computer giant, only this time we have two new Android or Linux (as suggested by the Tux icon) Moblin devices. First, we have the Sparta "netbook tablet" featuring an 11-inch 1024 x 768 TFT display, ARM processor, optional connectivity modules (3G, WiFi, Bluetooth) and a unique swivel mechanism -- the screen appears to be rotatable within its frame. The second device is the Athens sub-0.9kg (1.98 pounds) netbook sporting the same screen size, ARM processor and optional connectivity modules. If all goes well, the Sparta and Athens should be launched in early and late Autumn respectively, but there's a lot more so keep reading after the break. Update: thanks for pointing out the Moblin logo, thoughtmonster!
'Handwriting' recognition offers accurate way for dating stone tablets
Archaeology 101 will tell you that accurately dating an object is critical to understanding its meaning and value. When it comes to stone carvings, this typically requires a researcher with plenty of energy, time and skill, but scientists at the National Technical University of Athens have now developed a computer algorithm that promises to revolutionize the entire process. By overlaying digital scans of known inscribers' work, the Greek team are able to recognize stylistic idiosyncrasies and thereby identify the author of a carving. Their accuracy was confirmed by a recent test, in which they attributed proper authorship of 24 stone tablets, picking out the correct chiseler each time. Next step: seeking royalty payments for the works of your great uncle Xanthos.
Joystiq at the Ninja Gaiden Band concert
The concept is simple: a four-piece band recreates the soundtrack to the original Ninja Gaiden for NES while one skilled player runs through the game with little effort. You may have heard about this before when they previously performed as Contraband (Contra, natch), Megaband (Mega Man II) and Zeldaband (the first two dungeons of Legend of Zelda). On Friday, Joystiq attended the Ninja Gaiden Band concert, playing at the Caledonia Lounge as part of Athens, Georgia's annual music festival Athfest (the night prior, Contraband won Cover Band of the Year at the awards show). The band, comprised of the members of Cinemechanica and deft gamer Noah McCarthy, is now a two-year project of splicing classic gaming with musical performance. Work on the Ninja Gaiden Band began about a month ago, said guitarist Bryant Williamson, speaking to us before the concert. During practice, McCarthy had never had to use a continue, though Williamson said they were prepared in case he had to start over. McCarthy played on stage using via television while the signal was simultaneously projected onto a screen for the audience to watch. At 1:07 a.m. to a packed crowd, the console was turned on, the title screen came up, and the band counted in. %Gallery-4227%
