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Apple fined $347 million for Italian tax... irregularities
Apple's Italian subsidiary has reportedly been slapped with a €318 million ($347 million) bill for failing to pay tax in the country. According to the BBC and La Repubblica, authorities found disparities between the amount of money it brought in and the amount it handed over between 2008 and 2013. In that five-year period, it's believed that the firm paid just €30 million ($33 million), significantly less than the €880 million ($961 million) it's believed to have owed.
Hacking Team helped Italian police to hijack internet addresses
The Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) is used to route traffic across the Internet -- and it's a pretty old, creaky protocol that's open to abuse. Back in August 2014, an Italian web hosting company faked ownership of 256 IP addresses, under the direction of a special arm of Italy's Military Police and Hacking Team. The police were trying to use the latter's remote control system malware to monitor targets of interest, but certain IP addresses were unreachable as their true owners, Santrex, kept them locked down for criminal use. Then, when Santrex apparently went out of business, the police remained locked out of these addresses.
Netflix is coming to Spain, Italy and Portugal in October
Netflix wants to grow from servicing its current list of 50 countries to 200 in the next couple of years and now we know three of the new ones coming soon. Earlier this week it added Spain to the list, followed up by Italy, and today it announced Portugal too. Already available in 13 European countries, Netflix will come to all three of those in October. Four years ago Netflix was just staffing up for its rollout in Canada, and now a plan to cover much of the world is within reach, it's funny how time flies.
Apple Watch finally arrives at Apple Stores in two weeks
Apple says the Watch will finally hit its US retail stores in two weeks, and it expects to clear up most of its May pre-order backlog by then, as well. The wearable is also coming to seven more countries starting June 26th, namely Italy, Mexico, Spain, Taiwan, Singapore, Switzerland and South Korea. Folks there will also be able to grab it at Apple's online and retail stores, along with other select upscale outlets. The news is a pretty good sign that Apple is beginning to clear its order backlog, though it emphasized that demand had "surpassed our expectations."
European powers team up to build homegrown drones
Drones are sufficiently commonplace now that if you aren't building your own, you get a serious dose of FOMO. That's why Germany, France and Italy have agreed to bankroll a joint drone project, separate to Europe's, that'll build aerial surveillance hardware for the three countries. As Reuters reports, these nations currently American or Israeli gear, sparking fears that they're too reliant on military hardware from other countries.
Octopus-inspired surgical tool will dig deep into your guts
Telecommuting surgeons are becomingly increasingly adept at working on humans but there are still limits on what they can do using the stiff metal manipulators of a robotic stand-in like the DaVinci. This new omnidirectional grasping appendage, however, could one day wind its way into the most remote corners of your body cavity and gently cradle your guts with the same dexterity as an octopus' tentacle.
The DEA's using powerful spyware for surveillance too
The war on drugs has a surprising soldier amongst its ranks: Italian spying software. As Motherboard's sources tell it, the Drug Enforcement Administration's dropped $2.4 million on surveillance tools that are capable of intercepting phone calls, texts, social media messages, and can even take hold of someone's webcam and microphone. Oh, Remote Control System (as its officially called) can grab passwords, too. Almost sounds like a video game, right? The Hacking Team-developed software (the outfit behind Ethiopian cyberattacks on US journalists), can be installed on the sly and grants access to data that may very well be encrypted or otherwise inaccessible by other means. It comes hot on the heels of news that the DEA's been collecting phonecall metadata for an awfully lot longer than the NSA, too. Naturally, no one on either side of the story has been eager to open up to Motherboard, and presumably journalists in general.
Arrivederci: WhatsApp cited in 40 percent of adulterous Italian divorces
Technology can bring people together... and tear them apart, apparently. The Italian Association of Matrimonial Lawyers claims that WhatsApp chats are cited as evidence in 40 percent of Italian divorce cases where cheating is involved. Reportedly, a lot of these less-than-faithful spouses can't help but message their lovers, whether it's to whisper sweet nothings or send sexy photos. In some cases, lawyers say they've seen people juggle "three or four" partners through WhatsApp at one time -- probably not how the developers pictured people using their service.
BSkyB is dead, long live Sky
Following the merger of Sky Television and British Satellite Broadcasting in 1990, BSkyB grew to become the biggest pay-TV broadcaster in the UK. Domestic success was fine, but in July, the company decided it was time to cast its net wider, so it agreed a deal with 21st Century Fox to snap up Sky Italia and buy a 57-percent majority share of Sky Deutschland. That transaction has now been approved, creating what Sky says is now "Europe's leading entertainment company." While much will stay the same, some things inevitably must change. You see, now Sky has divisions in Italy and Germany (and 20 million total customers), the British Sky Broadcasting Group name befit a company embarking on an expansion across Europe. As a result, it's changing its name to Sky and listing itself on the London Stock Exchange under the symbol SKY. Shareholders will need to approve the name change first, but we're sure that's just a formality.
Energica Eva is a 'naked' electric superbike for the street
If you liked the basic concept behind CRP Racing's Energica electric superbike (now the Energica Ego) but wanted something that was more stripped down, you've just met your dream machine. The company has unveiled the Energica Eva, a "naked" streetfighter counterpart to the Ego. You'll still find a high-powered 136HP motor (good for 149MPH) and a 95-mile battery (with a 3.5-hour full recharge), but much of the design has been pared down and shortened for urban riding. You'll see more of that electric powerplant, while the handlebars, pegs and wheels should be more city-friendly. As for a launch date and price? CRP isn't ready to hand those out yet, but it was previously aiming for a price between $25,000 to $28,000 -- you'll have to really want a fast, environmentally conscious two-wheeler for the Eva to make sense.
Italy hopes free public WiFi will help revive its economy
What would you do to stimulate a sluggish economy? Push tourism? Cut taxes? Well, Italy is trying something a little different: free public WiFi. Over 100 legislators have proposed spending €5 million ($6.3 million) over three years to help install gratis hotspots in thousands of locations across the country, including airports, large shopping areas and even courtrooms. Theoretically, the move helps Italy make up for its poor broadband adoption (under 1 percent of residents have service at 30Mbps or faster) by making internet access virtually ubiquitous. It could also help visitors, many of whom would otherwise stay offline during their stays.
Italy's first electric supercar comes from a brand you've never heard of
Italian supercar makers are willing to embrace hybrids, but they're reluctant to develop pure electric cars -- not surprising when they're virtually defined by their sweet-sounding gas engines. They may have to reconsider that strategy pretty soon. Tecnicar, a startup whose main claim to fame is a city car, has revealed plans to build the country's first super-fast EV, the Lavinia SE. The finished vehicle is expected to produce the equivalent of 800HP, or enough to take it to 62MPH in 3.5 seconds. That's just behind a Ferrari 458 Italia, folks. It should also be nimble thanks to both a lightweight carbon fiber body and high-performance ceramic brakes, and the 186-mile range will be enough for a blast through the countryside, if not much more.
Researchers use cell-phone data, not precogs, to predict crime in London
Just this year we've seen open data give rise to recreations of Denmark in Minecraft, the ability to compare cities at the same scale and also collections of geo-mapped tweets and traffic lights. But what about a practical application for all of that info, one that has a more tangible benefit to society, like, say, crime prediction? That's what the University of Trento in Italy had in mind with its "Once Upon a Crime" study. The researchers coupled freely available (and anonymous, aggregated) demographic and mobile phone data with real crime data to forecast where in London an infraction might occur. Just how accurate was it? The Italian scientists say that their predictive algorithm was on-point, accurately anticipating whether an area would have either high or low levels of vice, 70 percent of the time. No, it's not quite enough to let Chief Anderton and co. start running wild just yet, but it could be a way to help cities struggling with budget woes decide what areas need more (or fewer) police patrols. [Image credit: Getty Images]
Italy tells Google it has 18 months to change how it handles your data
Google has already drawn fire from various European nations for allegedly violating users' privacy through its unified data policy, but Italy is more than willing to join the fray. The country's data protection agency has given Google 18 months to obey local laws and change how it handles your personal info. The crew in Mountain View now has to get your permission before it creates a profile; it also has two months to honor any requests to delete your data on active servers, and six months to scrub that content from backups.
Astronauts on the ISS are getting their very own espresso machine
One of the biggest complaints from Italian astronauts is the lack of fresh espresso. At least, that's according to the Italian coffee brand, Lavazza, which has an obvious interest in the matter. At least the company is ready to do something about it, however, by giving those aboard the International Space Station a proper caffeine fix. The Italian coffee maker has teamed up with aerospace company Argotec to create the ISSpresso: a specially-modified coffee machine that's capable of delivering "authentic Italian espresso" in space.
Google's Street View maps the watery roadways of Venice
Google's Street View has taken us all the way up (to the Burj Khalifa) and all the way down (to the Great Barrier Reef), so where else is there to go but the world's most romantic city? That's right, the search giant has taken its backpack-worn Trekker units to Venice, letting you explore its canals, tight streets and hundreds of connecting bridges from the comfort of your home or office. In its behind-the-scenes look, Google lets you see how the city has changed since 1838 with the help of a 175-year-old street map and explore locations that inspired famous works of art. If punting was never your thing, hit up Google Street View to begin your personal guided tour -- minus the unique odor.
Daily Update for November 13, 2013
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
Apple accused of tax fraud in Italy
Reuters is reporting that an Apple subsidiary in Italy is currently under investigation for tax fraud. According to a judicial source cited by Reuters, authorities in Italy are currently investigating whether or not the Apple subsidiary in question hid US$1.34 billion in revenue from tax authorities. The maker of the iPhone is the latest prominent corporation to become the target of a tax probe in Italy amid a global crackdown on tax cheating by multinationals. In Italy, where tax authorities have become more aggressive in their dealings with global companies, fashion designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana were handed in June a 20-month suspended prison sentence and a heavy fine for hiding hundreds of millions of euros in unpaid taxes. Both deny any wrongdoing. For whatever reason, Apple seems to have a penchant for running afoul of various Italian laws. You might remember that Apple previously had a drawn-out spat with Italian regulators with respect to its AppleCare Protection plan.
Vodafone Smart 4G shows its face, some base specs in leaked flyer
After prematurely breaking cover in the US, Vodafone's Smart 4G appears to have fled to Italy, where it's allegedly been spotted again on one of the network's local flyers. If the image above is to be believed -- and the light spec list is pretty standard to this kind of marketing material -- we now know a little more about Voda's first own-brand LTE handset. Namely, its rounded-corner design, 4.5-inch display, 8-megapixel camera, Snapdragon processor and Jelly Bean Android build. Oh, and that in Italia, it should cost €5 per month on prepaid plans, or come free with two-year contracts. The FCC docs that originally outed the Smart 4G don't list an LTE band compatible with Vodafone's Italian network, suggesting the device could come to several European countries (at least) in a few radio variants. We're still certain it'll feature on a low-cost 4G contract in the UK, but before we get ahead of ourselves, let's wait for the formal announcement, which has to be coming soon. Update: A Portuguese Vodafone flyer has surfaced on Twitter giving us a look at the handset's back and right side. Head past the break for the photo.
AppleCare+ rolls out to three European countries, but incident fees climb to $79 in the US
While we were busy gawking at the iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s, Apple was quietly expanding the reach of its AppleCare+ extended support program. The service is now available in France, Italy and the UK, giving locals two years of iOS and iPod hardware support (including two accident claims) beyond the European requirements. Customers pay £79 (€99 in Europe) to cover an iPad or iPhone, and £49 (€59) to safeguard an iPod. Unfortunately, the expansion comes at a cost for Americans -- Apple is quietly hiking its AppleCare+ accident repair fee in the US from $49 to $79. While that's still cheaper than regular service, it's expensive enough that some may simply prefer to take better care of their gadgets. May we suggest a case?
