Remember how when we launched Engadget Poland a couple weeks ago we said that we were just getting started rolling out new international versions of the site? Well, today we're announcing two exciting new Engadgets we've waited for years to get started: Korean and German! They're both in beta, so to speak, so try not to mind the sawdust as we work out the kinks. Big ups to Brian, Jason, Manfred, and everyone at our international teams that made these new sites possible. Oh, and if you're waiting for Engadget in your language of choice, don't worry, Korean and German aren't the last we'll be rolling out!

Read - Engadget Korea
Read - Engadget Germany

It's been a tick since we've heard anything noteworthy on the e-passport front (that's probably a good thing, truth be told), but Samsung SDI and German security printer Bundesdruckerei are out to break the silence. The two have teamed up to demonstrate a passport that boasts a "slim and bendable" OLED color display within a "polycarbonate data page." Predictably, the aforementioned display can be used to "provide a raft of information including a video of the document holder." It's also noted that the units will be heat-resistant, enabling officials to laminate the cards and make them less susceptible to manipulation. Information about a potential release date wasn't divulged, but it sure sounds like this stuff is dangerously close to being ready for use.

Nokia's decision to close that factory in Bochum, Germany and move its operations to a cheaper site in Romania might lower costs in the long run, but for now things seem decidedly in red: Nokia and the German unions who represented the 2,000 laid-off workers at the plant have agreed to a €200M ($314M) settlement, which will probably end the demonstrations and calls for boycotts that have been going on. Of course, that's on top of the $92M (plus another $6.2M) the German government wants back in grants and tax breaks for subsidizing the plant, but what's another hundred mil between friends?

[Via Textually.org; image courtesy of Reuters]

To be honest, JVC's P-Series LCD line may still hold the crown for most expensive iPod dock, but at least it comes with an expansive 1080p panel, right? Pushing aside a number of a worthy opponents on its charge to most absurd / unnecessary iPod dock evar, the iCoral supposedly features a top plate constructed from artificial coral and is proudly decorated with a "very artistic design" (Copulare's words, not ours). 'Round back, you'll find USB, S-Video and stereo analog outputs, but we're simply not seeing the slit in which your currency of choice comes out of at the press of a button. Due to that unfortunate omission, we're suggesting you hold tight to your €1,500 ($2,355) -- unless you're one David Beckham, of course.

[Via UberReview]

As if being on the hook for $92 million wasn't enough, Nokia is now being chased down for what looks to be another €4 million or so, which comes out to just over $6.2 million. This time, the German government is "demanding" that Nokia repay said amount in research subsidies now that it is closing its factory in Bochum. Reportedly, the German Research Ministry gifted the cellphone maker with €4 million in order to "fund four separate research projects dealing primarily with new antennae and wireless transmission technology," and now it's asking Nokia to "explain by early April which patent filings resulted from the projects and which German production or research sites benefited from the results of the projects." So much for basking in the glory of Q4, eh?

[Via IntoMobile, image courtesy of Reuters]

Looks as if Nokia's going to be using a portion of that gigantic profit it raked in during Q4 to appease NRW.Bank -- unless a meeting it hopes to establish within the next few days changes matters, that is. Apparently, a German state has "asked" the handset maker to hand back government-issued subsidies (with interest, no less) that it received to build a cellphone factory in Bochum which it now plans to close. In sum, Nokia's looking at a tab of $92 million, as the folks in the industrial Ruhr region are none too pleased about what will likely result in the loss of some 2,300 jobs. Purportedly, the cash is due by March 31st, and if Nokia refuses to comply, the bank has stated that it will "take legal action to secure payment." Them's fightin' words there.

If there's one person at CeBIT you don't want to not recognize, it's German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Nevertheless, we can only assume that Vodafone booth workers were left with their tails stuck between their legs after said figure gave its recently announced picture-based search engine a go. Upon Otella returning nothing after a picture was presumably snapped of Merkel, she quickly asserted: "I am not in the database." Better still, she continued by proclaiming: "That's a major gap." Heck, maybe she should be happy -- after all, Vodafone's set to trial the service with Europe's "best selling tabloid," and not being in there would most certainly be a good thing.

We've certainly seen some clever methods of searching from one's mobile, but Vodafone's latest idea is quite the stroke of genius. Showcased at CeBIT, the Otello search engine simply uses images as input; in other words, handset owners just snap a picture of anything -- a landmark, DVD case, unidentified flying object, etc. -- and Otello then "returns information relevant to the picture to the mobile phone." Reportedly, Vodafone is expected to conduct a trial with German paper Bild in which readers can "find out more about specially-marked articles by photographing them with their mobile's camera and sending the image to [the aforementioned paper]." Unfortunately, the carrier is being tight-lipped with its plans for Otello beyond the trial, but if this stuff functions as advertised, we can't see it remaining a secret for long.

[Via Pocket-lint]

If you thought a solar-powered ferry was far out, get a load of this. Reportedly, a 132-meter long vessel will be making its maiden voyage next month, but rather than chugging copious quantities of diesel while traversing the Atlantic, it'll be sipping down fuel and receiving a good bit of help from the computer guided kite attached to its bow. The $725,000 device will be tethered to a 15-meter high mast and will fly some 300 meters above the ship in order to catch enough wind to actually aid in its movement. It's suggested that the SkySails kite propulsion system will slash fuel consumption by "up to 20-percent," saving the operator some $1,600 per day and reducing carbon emissions all the while. 'Course, all the company has to do now is make sure the January trip is a success and it'll have a list of to-be owners a mile long.

[Via Slashdot]

Manufactum, the same company who apparently produces a totally sensational espresso machine, is offering up something a bit different with the Manuscriptum. Not vastly unlike many of the diminutive alternatives already out there, this two-pound PC gets stuffed with a 500MHz AMD Geode LX800 processor, an 80GB hard drive, up to 1GB of RAM and a motherboard that handles four USB 2.0 ports, VGA / serial connectors, dual Ethernet jacks and audio out. Additionally, this little fella is passively cooled and sucks down just 12-watts of power when in operation. As for the OS, you'll find Debian Linux loaded on, and it also ships with OpenOffice, Foxit PDF Reader and Firefox to keep you busy right from the get-go. In the aforementioned configuration, the Manuscriptum will run you €449 ($650), but it sounds like you can pony up even more if you're craving a customized rig complete with a 32GB SSD.

[Via LinuxDevices]

Considering just how well the first round of RFID ePassports withstood subversion attempts from hackers, we're amazed that anything needs to be tweaked at all. Sarcasm aside, NXP is all set to make Germany the first country on the planet to utilize second-generation ePassports, as the EU-set deadline to migrate doesn't pass until June of 2009. The new passports will include a SmartMX chip that allows biometric data to be "securely stored on the passport," and the 80kb of onboard storage also holds the individual's photo, name, and date / country of birth. Of note, NXP even goes so far as to gloat about the chip's ability to "guard against attack scenarios," but we'll be interested to see how long it takes the oh-so-motivated hacking community to find a backdoor when these launch later this month.

[Via TheRegister]

Trust us, there's been quite a few days in which a dysfunctional PC was kicked around at Engadget HQ for eating posts and intentionally inserting typos, but we've yet to become so flustered that we needed to launch one out of the building. Interestingly enough, a disgruntled 51-year-old German just couldn't resist, as he actually flung his PC out of a window during the middle of the night, which startled neighbors and garnered a visit from local police. Of course, the boys in blue did exactly as they should, and left the man with nary a warning after apparently sympathizing with his technical frustrations. Granted, the rattled PC hurler was forced to clean up the mess from the streets below, but we can safely assume he felt an awful lot better after showing that hunk of plastic who was really in charge.

[Via TGDaily]

We've noticed that the folks at Porsche Design have been branching out to new endeavors of late, but this joint venture takes brand extension to an entirely new level. The group has apparently partnered with Germany's Metabo to unveil the Multihammer P'7911 power drill, which "combines all the essential functions of a drill with the power of a pneumatic hammer," sports a carbon fiber / aluminum housing, and includes an impeccably balanced grip that makes this bad boy easier to handle. The 705-watt device has no problem with scratches here and there from drilling through concrete, stone, wood, and steel, and the five different function settings allow you to tweak the tool for the job at hand. No word just yet regarding the (presumably lofty) price, but be sure to leap on through to see this luxury power tool hard at work.

[Via Sybarites]

Just over a month ago, O2 Germany came clean and announced the future availability of the Xda terra, and now the carrier will forever hold the crown of being the first major provider to offer up and ship a Windows Mobile 6 Professional handset. Sure enough, O2's Germany webstore proudly displays the dashing mobile, lists the specs that you've already memorized, and mentions that it now includes a two-megapixel camera to boot. Of course, being first in line always comes at a premium, and from what we can gather through the (admittedly sketchy) translation, the lowest price point you'll be reaching is €279.99 ($382) bundled with a contract. Additionally, O2 lists the handset sans agreement for a stiff €519.99 ($710), but it looks like those will only be available from retail locations -- decisions, decisions.

[Via Unwired]

Utilizing hybrid GPS tracking technology to locate things whilst inside a building has wandered over into the commercial realm a few times before, but Germany's Lodenfrey is hoping you'll keep said technology overtly near and dear to your heart. The io-Jacket, which had one unit built to raise money for the "Humans for Humans" foundation, doesn't differ too much from other gizmo-laced jackets that have come before at first glance, but if you look beyond the built-in Bluetooth, integrated MP3 player, touch-sensitive control pads, and dashing good looks, you'll notice the compatibility with GPSoverIP. This functionality enables the wearer to upload "real-time tracking data" via their cellphone to a website, where a paranoid parent or mission commander could keep watch on the situation regardless of buildings. No word on future pricing or availability options just yet, but the one unit that was auctioned off for charity fetched €2,960 ($4,019) -- which is reportedly about €740 ($1,005) less than the cost of construction.

[Via The Raw Feed]