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Valve nixes 'CS:GO' and 'Dota 2' trading following Dutch loot box law
Back in April, the Netherlands ruled that loot boxes in video games were essentially gambling and called for their removal by mid-June. Now, Valve has responded by disabling trading for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Dota 2 items on the Steam Marketplace within the country.
Amsterdam will limit Airbnb rentals to 30 days per year
Last year, Amsterdam limited Airbnb rentals to no more than 60 days in a calendar year but that is about to be halved according to a report from DutchNews.nl. The city's executive board agreed to the proposed shortened limit today and housing alderman Laurens Ivens said, "I recognize that reducing the length of time is not the solution to city congestion but it will reduce the problems caused by tourists in some areas and will make it less inviting to use your home as a way to earn money."
Dutch ISPs overturn Pirate Bay blocking order, get pieces of eight for the trouble
In many countries, ISPs are regarded as partly culpable for the P-word that's now synonymous with the internet. We're talking, of course, about piracy. Government and legal pressure has forced several ISPs to block sites known for illegal file distribution, with The Pirate Bay being a prime target due to its popularity. Today, however, a court in The Netherlands has overturned an order compelling two of the country's major ISPs to block The Pirate Bay, based on the belief that's it's ineffective and tantamount to censorship. Local anti-piracy group BREIN, with the help of a judge and gavel, put the restriction in place in 2012 -- the ISPs appealed, and won. The Dutch court that's sided with the providers has said that a block is not only against the freedom of information, but referenced a report showing it had little impact on torrent traffic. (As most of us know, for every site that's squashed by the banhammer, there is a swarm of others providing the same services.) It gets even worse for BREIN, too, as now it's been ordered to pay 326,000 euros (around $445,000) for the trouble it's caused. That should buy at least a couple of lawyers lunch and new suits, we'd imagine.
Netflix launches in The Netherlands, available for €7.99 per month
Netflix promised its next European expansion would occur in The Netherlands, and today it's switching on service for the first time. Priced at €7.99 per month (with a one month free trial available), it brings the usual package of assorted Hollywood movies and TV shows, Netflix Originals and local selections like De Heineken Ontvoering, Alles is Liefde, Spiksplinter and Kikkerdril to Dutch viewers -- we recommend Orange is the New Black. Check the press release after the break for more content details, as well as which hardware in the country is compatible with it at launch.
Samsung Galaxy Tab cleared for sale in The Netherlands, says Dutch court
Despite Apple's attempts to get Samsung's Galaxy Tab 7.7, 8.9, and 10.1 banned from sale in The Netherlands (per ongoing litigation between the two companies), a Dutch court in The Hague struck down that request in a ruling today. Apple claimed Samsung's Galaxy Tab line too closely resembled its own line of iPads, but apparently Dutch officials disagreed -- Apple is paying Samsung €63,678 ($84,755) in court costs as a result. This isn't even the first time a Dutch court sided with Samsung over Apple's claims on its Galaxy Tab line. The two companies are engaged in a worldwide patent struggle, each trying to get the other company's products banned for sale in various regions. The situation in The Netherlands is particularly contentious, with some serious back-and-forth over various devices across the past several years. Today's news is just one more small step in the ongoing patent saga between Samsung and Apple, sadly, and we'll assuredly see much more minutiae before the two are through.
Apple adds Rubles and other currencies to App Store, bumps minimum price to €0.89 in Europe
After announcing slightly under par financials, Apple has added more ways it can be paid for apps, though it also bumped the minimum freight to get one across Europe. The new lowest price users in France, Germany, Italy and other nations "over there" can pay for an app is now €0.89, a euro-dime bump from before -- apparently due to the weak euro and local tax hikes. On the other hand, Cupertino also added more currencies accepted at its store: South African Rand, Turkish Lira, Russian Rubles, Indian Rupees, Isreali New Shekel's, Saudi Arabian Riyal, Indonesian Rupish and UAE Dirham can all now be used to pay. Apple has tinkered with its prices before in varying amounts overseas depending on the nation, so you may want to check your own country's App Store for the news -- bad or good.
Dutch court rules that Samsung didn't infringe on Apple multi-touch patent
Once again, a decision has been made on an Apple versus Samsung patent dispute. This time, it's a Dutch court in the Hague, ruling that Samsung does not infringe on a Cupertino patent relating to certain multi-touch commands that the Korean firm implements in some of its Galaxy phones and tablets. This isn't the first time that the Netherlands-based court has found in favor of Samsung, and Apple had already lost a preliminary injunction on this same patent last year. Reuters also reports that the Hague court's decision comes in the same week that the International Trade Commission is expected to decide about further patent disputes between the two firms, which went in favor of Apple the last time around. At the very least, this long and bumpy ride isn't over yet.
GreenWave Reality ships WiFi-aware light bulbs that flick on through motion and smartphones
We've seen connected light bulbs before, some more sophisticated than others, but they're rarely as straightforward as GreenWave Reality's just-shipping Connected Lighting Solution. Eco-friendly LED bulbs in the lineup include support for WiFi and are immediately controllable from a smartphone or tablet as soon as they're receiving power. Basics controls like group presets and timed lighting are just the start; if you're not worried about leaving anyone in the dark, the bulbs can respond to motion sensors and only illuminate the rooms that need attention. And while the intelligence isn't new in itself, GreenWave would argue that sheer accessibility gives it an edge, with electric utilities in Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden skipping the retail middleman by selling directly. Don't despair if you live in the US: the linked-up lighting is cleared for eventual use by Americans who'd like to save both energy and a trip to the light switch.
Guild Wars 2 dominates European sales
Guild Wars 2 is on a goodwill tour through Europe, and it appears that the crowds love ArenaNet's latest release. The fantasy title has topped the charts in not one, not two, but 10 countries in the region. NCsoft reports that Guild Wars 2 is at the number one sales spot for UK, Germany, France, Spain, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Netherlands, and Belgium. And as the saying goes, when you win over Finland, you've won over the world. ArenaNet President Mike O'Brien is bowled over by the accomplishment: "Our games have always been well-received in Europe, but this level of enthusiasm is both awesome and humbling. It also impresses upon us the responsibility we have to our players and explains why we've taken steps recently to constrain sales of Guild Wars 2 to ensure the highest quality of service. Of course, we hope to remedy this in the near future." Even with ArenaNet temporarily halting sales from its website, Guild Wars 2 is selling strong elsewhere. Amazon currently has it at both the #1 and #2 position on its top video game sales chart.
Google Maps for Android adds turn-by-turn biking navigation, helps pedal-pushers in 10 more countries
Google's cycling directions have been slowly expanding their reach to the mobile world and other countries, but the only option for navigation so far has been to memorize the route. As of today, you won't have to stop every five minutes to get your bearings. Google Maps for Android has received a low-key update that adds spoken, turn-by-turn Google Maps Navigation for riders in every country where biking directions exist -- if you can clamp your phone to your handlebars, you can find your way. Many more riders are just seeing mobile support of any kind in the process. Both navigation and regular directions should now be live in the Android app for 10 more countries, including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK. Cyclists just need to swing by Google Play to keep their two-wheeled adventures on track.
PSA: Get your new iPad today in Austria, Ireland, Mexico and many other places
If your homeland wasn't part of the initial iPad roll out we've got good news -- today is the day for iOS tabletry. Maybe. The latest slab of Retina display-equipped machinery out of Cupertino is landing in 25 additional countries today, including Liechtenstein and Luxembourg. So, if you haven't been waiting on line since the 16th in anticipation of this day, then go to your local Apple store to score one. Or don't. For the full list of countries check the PR after the break.
Xperia Play makes brief appearance at T-Mobile Netherlands, quickly pulled
Soon up for grabs in the land of bicycles, coffee shops and mayonnaise-laden fries, Sony Ericsson's Xperia Play -- affectionately known as the PlayStation Phone -- was recently sighted gracing the storefront at T-Mobile Netherlands. As is the case with subsidized handsets, we spotted that the upfront cost of this elusive one varies based on the rate of your monthly plan and term of commitment. At €25 per month and a one year agreement, for example, this mobile gamer could soon be yours for €269. As if the fusion of old-school PSOne and Gingerbread weren't tempting enough, T-Mobile is sweetening the deal, offering four months of free internet with the device. The rollout of Xperia Play across Europe has seen a bumpy start, and we're hoping better luck for T-Mobile users in Holland. Keep checking the source -- we're guessing the doors will reopen soon enough. [Thanks, John]
CDMA iPhone rumored for India as exclusivities end in Germany and Holland
More fuel for the CDMA iPhone fire today. The Wall Street Journal says that Apple is in talks with both Reliance Communications and Tata Teleservices to bring a CDMA version of its iPhone -- the one it again says will be on sale at Verizon early next year -- to India. The discussions have apparently been ongoing for four or five months according to one WSJ source. This comes out as news of iPhone exclusivity arrangements are ending in both Germany and The Netherlands. In Germany, Deutsche Telekom loses its exclusive now that both O2 and Vodafone will be offering Apple's finest before the holidays. In Holland, T-Mobile just lost its exclusive arrangement as both KPN and Vodafone have announced plans to carry the iPhone -- no specific dates were mentioned though, like Germany, in time for the holidays is a pretty good guess.
Nokia N96 to hit European carriers starting in September
Nokia's Indian division recently announced that its customers there would be able to snatch up N96s of their own starting in September, so it comes as no surprise that European carriers are starting to confirm September release windows, too. Dutch carrier KPN, specifically, has announced that the N96 will start to flow its way in just a few tantalizingly short weeks -- September 15, to be exact -- while other carriers will have to wait an additional month until October 15 to get in on the action. One month isn't much of an exclusivity period, but when it comes to Nokia's most anticipated phone of the last few months (Tube notwithstanding), we're sure KPN will take what it can get.[Via Mobile Phone Helpdesk]
The Netherlands goes open-source in 2008
April 2008. That's the date when the notoriously progressive Dutch government goes open source. The plan was approved unanimously yesterday in a meeting of two parliamentary commissions. The policy dictates that government organizations at the national level must be ready to save documents in the Open Document Format (ODF) by April, and the state and local level by 2009. Use of proprietary software and file formats from the likes of Microsoft will have to be justified under the new policy. The government expects to save $8.8 million a year on city housing registers alone by making the switch. Tough week, eh Microsoft? You'll have to get your OpenDocument plug-ins for MS Office ISO approved on the quick if you want to avoid further trouble.
Dutch government orders reforms in response to hacked voting machines
Even though the issue of electronic voting security has yet to be taken seriously in the United States (we're looking at you, Diebold), the Dutch government appears to be very concerned about the shenanigans that hackers recently pulled with one of Nedap/Groenendaal's old-school machines, and has taken several steps to ensure that the equipment is as hack-proof as possible prior to the November 22nd national elections. According to a translated article on the site Nu.nl, officials have ordered Nedap to double-check every single terminal, replace all of the weak software, and install unflashable firmware so that the simple "Diebold memory hack" can't be replicated in the Netherlands. Furthermore, all of the machines will be retrofitted with an iron seal that will presumably prevent unnoticeable access to their innards, and two additional independent checks will be performed to add another layer of redundancy: a certification institute will make sure that Nedap has performed all of the necessary upgrades, and the machines will be spot-checked for accuracy once again on election day. Finally, the Dutch intelligence service AIVD will reportedly look into the RF emissions that enable snoopers to wirelessly establish a vote tally, although it doesn't sound like the inquiry will have any immediate effect on this gaping security hole. Despite these changes and increased oversight, though, it seems that the voting group responsible for the original hacks is still not confident that all of the problems have been solved; we certainly see their point, however, we'd suggest that a government that at least acknowledges and makes moves to alleviate these serious concerns is already far more progressive than one that seems to be waiting around for an e-voting "Enron" before taking the initiative to sort out this significant threat to the democratic process.[Via Slashdot]
