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Tim Cook calls for GDPR-style privacy laws in the US
Apple CEO and long-time data privacy advocate Tim Cook has made an impassioned speech calling for new digital privacy laws in the US. At a privacy conference in Brussels, Cook said that modern technology has resulted in a "data-industrial complex" where personal information is "weaponized against us with military efficiency," and in a way that doesn't just affect individuals but whole sections of society.
Google could face a massive EU Android competition fine in July
Judgement on Google's ongoing antitrust Android case could be passed as soon as next month, according to people familiar with the issue, and it seems that things aren't looking good for the company. The Financial Times and Politico report that while the size of the potential fine is unclear, it's likely to be higher than the $2.8 billion Google was hit with last year in a separate case, and could be as high as $11 billion, since the European Commission has the power to impose fines up to 10 percent of a business' global turnover.
US carriers cover the costs for calls and texts to Belgium
If you're determined to get in touch with friends and relatives who were in Belgium during the March 22nd terrorist attacks in Brussels, you're about to get a helping hand. Major US carriers (so far including AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon) are all waiving the costs of calls and text messages to Belgium to help you confirm that everyone is safe and sound. The extent of the offer varies -- Verizon's waiver runs through March 23rd, while Sprint will take care of you until March 31st. Some (such as T-Mobile and Verizon) are covering calls to Turkey following its incident, as well. It's an all too familiar gesture (carriers did the same following the Paris attacks), but it's an important one if you need to reassure yourself with a familiar voice.
Google uses VR to put you inside a Bruegel painting
The Google Cultural institute has been working for half a decade to make the world's art accessible to everyone (with an internet connection). It's done a decent job of it so far, digitizing thousands of paintings and sculptures from hundreds of museums and galleries across the globe. More recently, it created a 360-degree video to put you inside the orchestra pit of New York's Carnegie Hall. Building on that experiment, it's now used a lot more creativity to produce a similar video for the Royal Museums of Fine Arts in Brussels, Belgium. A video that takes you inside Bruegel's The Fall of the Rebel Angels.
Brussels wants you to make internet calls to random locals
Brussels is having a tough time lately. While it's the effective capital of the European Union and famous for its street art, the combination of terrorism fears and an economic slump has kept the tourists away. The Belgian city has a clever solution for that, however: calling random people on the street. If you visit Call Brussels between 9AM and 7PM local time no later than January 11th, you can make internet calls to who picks up the phone in one of multiple public locations. As you've probably guessed, Brussels is hoping that you'll hear how wonderful the city is and book a vacation.
Belgian Twitter users post cat pics to help police in weekend raids
Belgium's capital, Brussels, entered lockdown this weekend as authorities swept the city for suspected terrorists, including at least one high-profile fugitive wanted in connection with the Paris attacks. On Twitter, authorities prompted residents to refrain from posting pictures or information about ongoing police movement -- and Belgian residents obliged, with a twist. They flooded the hashtag #BrusselsLockdown with pictures of cats, making information about raids harder to find and showcasing the country's solidarity against terrorism. On Monday, as the city remained under its highest-level terror alert, Belgian federal police thanked residents on Twitter with a picture of cat food and the message, "For the cats who helped us last night... Help yourself!"[Image credit: Flickr/julochka]
Belgium bans Uber, threatens €10,000 fine for each attempted pickup
A Brussels court has declared Uber to be illegal in Belgium, saying the company will be fined €10,000 for every ride. The UberPOP ride-sharing service has been on shaky ground there since its February launch, with the government even seizing vehicles. As in France, taxi drivers are taking umbrage with the company since its drivers don't have to pay for pricey licenses. The French government actually forced Uber chauffeurs to wait 15 minutes before picking up passengers in response, which now seems tame in comparison to Belgium's actions. Uber has yet to comment, but previously said it's been open with the government and called the seizures "disproportionate and targeted." As with Tesla, however, it's learning how hard it is to deal with an entrenched industry.
Talking tree communicates with the world via Facebook and Twitter
The Flemish have always been known for talking to plants, so perhaps it's no surprise that a Talking Tree has been found in Brussels. This collab between EOS Magazine and Happiness Brussels sees a 100 year old tree outfitted with a dust meter, ozone meter, light meter, weather station, webcam and microphone, all of which report back to web 2.0 mainstays Twitter, Flickr, Soundcloud, and Facebook, as well as its own website (talking-tree.com). Now you can finally find out what it looks, sounds, and feels like to be a tree -- without psychoactive drugs. Video after the break. [Thanks, Ramin]
Researchers use Bluetooth to track festival goers, make fun of their 'hippie dancing'
A team from the University of Ghent in Belgium is lacing the site of this year's Rock Werchter festival -- Brussel's equivalent of Woodstock '97 -- with Bluetooth scanners (36 total, they cover a range of 30 meters each). While you're rocking out to the likes of Bloc Party and Mastodon, the researchers will be tracking your every movement, whether it be to the mosh pit, the beer tent, or the Job Johnny. As you've probably assumed, the researchers are primarily looking for ways that retailers can monitor customer flow (read: sell you more crap) although there are certainly going to be results applicable to the world of law enforcement. Of course, this is Bluetooth: you always have the option of disabling it on your phone, and if you don't they'll only be able to discern your MAC address. Besides, if you're not doing anything illegal, you have nothing to fear from the surveillance state -- right? And if you are up to no good, well, that's why they invented the Dazer Lazer.
Power-guzzling plasmas could be barred by EU
While most of the plasmas these days aren't exactly energy guzzlers, some of the earlier models were notorious for eating up power at an alarming rate. According to a writeup in The Daily Mail, legislation could be passed by the EU this Spring that would bar those panels from being sold. A spokesman of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has already affirmed that more "eco-friendly" PDPs will remain on store shelves, though it's still unclear what exactly the cutoff will be in terms of energy usage. Granted, none of this should take anyone by surprise -- after all, it'll soon be difficult to find any sets in the US that don't sport that oh-so-important Energy Star 3.0 logo.[Thanks, Isaac]
8bit musicians announce world tour
Former cellmates Nullsleep and Bitshifter have announced plans to embark on a world tour, blasting their blend of bleeps, bloops, and blizzasts from Boston to Brussels and back again. If you're not an 8-bit believer yet, nothing will win you over except trying it out for yourself. To that end, here are links (1, 2, 3, 4) to some MP3s these torturers of Gameboys, Famicoms and other old-school video game consoles have kindly provided for downloading. If you like what you hear, check the tour page and maybe even drop a few dollars in the donation bucket to help make it happen.
