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Sony to sell downloadable content at GameStops in Europe and Australia
Sony isn't about to let Nintendo and PC games get a leg up on it in the downloadable content (DLC) arena. That's why the company's European arm (which also runs the show in Australia and New Zealand) is taking its digital wares to GameStop, where customers will be able to use cash, gift cards or trade credits to purchase activation codes for PlayStation Network games and add-ons. All told, some 1,600 stores in Australia, New Zealand, France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Austria and Switzerland will soon be offering the ability to purchase content usually ordered from the comfort of your couch and Crash Bandicoot boxer shorts. The complete PR awaits you after the break.
HTC reveals Central Europe release date, pricing for One X, One S and One V
HTC's One series inches closer to expectant customers, with Central Europe apparently set to get the device next Monday. According to The Unwired, shoppers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland will all be able to pick up any device from HTC's 2012 catalogue, including the quad-cored One X (€599, around $800), the micro-arc oxidized One S (€499, around $670) and the somehow retro One V (€299, around $400). German carrier O2 has also backed up these claims, announcing that it expects to stock both the One X and One S next week. You'd best grab that passport and a wad of euros.
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.
Man skydives from 13 miles above Earth, isn't satisfied (video)
Your worst nightmares? Felix Baumgartner's breakfast. Determined to cement his legacy in the Pantheon of Daredevilry, the famed skydiver successfully leapt from an altitude of more than 70,000 feet last week -- and that was just a trial. It's all part of Baumgartner's attempt to complete a record-breaking 120,000 foot "spacedive" later this year and, based on early returns, he seems well on his way. His latest jump, completed on March 15th, saw the fearless Austrian carried up to more than 13 miles above the Earth, protected only by a pressurized suit and capsule that hung from a 165-foot high helium balloon. Not long after jumping out, he reached a maximum speed of 364.4 mph, with the entire free fall lasting a little over eight minutes, according to Red Bull Stratos, which is sponsoring the effort. The idea behind last week's run was to test out the balloon and pressurized capsule, though Baumgartner is apparently hoping to complete another jump from about 90,000 feet above ground, before attempting the record breaker sometime this summer. Somewhere, Yves Rossy is furiously polishing off his jetpack. For more details on the equipment used to pull off the feat, check out Red Bull Stratos' video, after the break.
Samsung makes it easier for you to buy stuff from its Apps store
No doubt still buzzing from hitting the 100 millionth download milestone back in March, Samsung is making it even easier for Apps customers to use the mobile/HDTV storefront -- well, consumers in Europe and Asia, at least. The company announced this week that it has streamlined the purchasing process for the store, letting users tack payments onto their phone bill or SIM card balance. The upgrade is being rolled out in the UK, Germany, Thailand, India, among others, with even more countries coming later this year. The rest of the world will have to continue paying for apps the old fashioned way: sticking a check in a bottle and praying it floats all the way to Korea. More info on the press release after the break.
Unnamed investor pulls its financial support for JoWooD
Things aren't looking too terribly bright for Vienna-based publisher JoWooD Productions. Helmut Platzgummer, the firm in charge of the struggling company's insolvency, revealed that an unnamed investor has pulled out its interest in the company. That's not necessarily a death knell -- according to the Austrian Independent, two other investors are interested in keeping the studio afloat. (We're guessing they're really big Painkiller fans.) Perplexingly, the publisher also announced that its upcoming expansion to Gothic 4, Fall of Setarrif, had been cancelled due to "legal uncertainty" with its own business development manager Stefan Berger. The publisher explained in a press release, "It's uncertain whether the game can be released onto the market in its current form." We hope that JoWooD can figure out some solutions for its problems, whether they be financial, legal or otherwise.
Ubisoft to shoulder Rift's European publishing
With Rift's launch looming closer by the day, forces are coming into play faster now than ever before. Trion Worlds has announced that it is partnering with Ubisoft to publish Rift in Europe. Ubisoft, which has studios in countries all across the globe, will be tasked with releasing the game in France, Benelux, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Nordics. This deal includes multiple years of service starting in 2011. While Ubisoft has handled smaller MMOs, such as Might and Magic Heroes Kingdom, Rift represents the largest MMO client to date for the company. Trion Worlds' CEO Lars Buttler sees this as a great move for the game: "To join forces with an industry leader such as Ubisoft on our first title further demonstrates the potential Rift has to be a game-changer in the online gaming space. We are thrilled to be working with Ubisoft, one of world's leading publishers, as we reaffirm our commitment to deliver quality products to gamers around the world." While Ubisoft is not without its fair share of controversies, no one can deny that the publisher has clout across the market. Rift's closed beta starts later this week, and all signs still point toward an early 2011 release.
AT&T offering a free month of Zune to folks who buy a Windows Phone 7 handset this year (update: 3-month Zune Pass from MS, and free Xbox 360s in Austria!)
We already knew AT&T was giving away ilomilo and a free month of U-verse Mobile to folks who buy one of its glorious Windows Phone 7 phones. What else? Well, AT&T is tossing in a free month of Zune Pass for good measure. Now, Microsoft already offers 14 day free trials to the Zune-curious, and there's nothing stopping other carriers or Microsoft itself extending this deal to the rest of the world -- we think the "first one's free" method of addiction generation is particularly great for subscription music. Still, it's nice to know AT&T has such an offer sewn up. Now that the Xbox is getting a native Zune UI at long last, how about a free month of Zune for Xbox Live subscribers as well? Microsoft can afford it. [Thanks, Morgan G.] Update: We just heard that Austrian carrier A1's offering a free Xbox 360 4GB to everyone signing up for or extending a contract for a HTC Trophy on October 21st only, and there'll also be a Xbox 360 raffle for 360 lucky pre-orderers. If you so desire, A1 will also let you sign up for two contracts and take two Xboxes home as well. Our tipster added that the company isn't known for doing giveaways, so it's very likely that it's getting a little help from Microsoft. [Thanks, Ben M.] And speaking of which, another eagle-eyed reader spotted that Microsoft is giving away three-month Zune Passes to those signing up for the WP7 pre-order notification and actually buying a phone. Go get it while it's hot! [Thanks, Bryan]
iPad hitting nine more countries this Friday
Apple has just let word out that it'll be bringing its super-selling slate to nine new markets. The Netherlands, Austria, Belgium, Hong Kong, Ireland, Luxembourg, Mexico, New Zealand and Singapore are all getting their hands on the device this Friday, July 23. We were just remarking on how the iPad's sales pace had slowed down recently, but this expansion in markets should move things along toward rounding the next milestone. Local pricing hasn't yet been revealed, but it's not like there's long to wait now. "Many" more countries are promised before the end of the year, so don't despair if your local Apple Store isn't stocking the iPad just yet.
Telekom Austria to turn phone booths into EV recharging stations, stave off obsolescence
For most Engadget readers, telephone booths rank somewhere up there with smoke signals in the annals of communication devices -- old, primitive, and bypassed by newer and better technology. Ah, but wait, what if we used all those cables we have wired into those boxes for something actually helpful? Telekom Austria's trying to do just that with its newly unveiled plan to roll out 30 electric vehicle recharging stations over the rest of this year. Attached to what are admittedly rather swish phone boxes, these stations will juice up one of the 3,782 currently registered electric or hybrid transporters in Austria at remarkably low prices. The testing phase will allow free recharging, and even after that it'd be a single-digit Euro cost to boost your battery back up. Ironically, the fastest way to pay will be via your mobile phone, but let's just get this project off the ground first, then we can worry about how to save the precious talker boxes from extinction.
Kwizzcard printed electronic game cards do the impossible, make Magic: The Gathering even nerdier
Kwizzcard is apparently a game that involves a smiley face, a couple triangles, and good dose of Gevaarlijk kruispunt. But that isn't what has geeks the world o'er giddy with excitement. To be debuted at Printed Electronics World 2010, the game card itself is manufactured by an Austrian start-up called Prelonic and features one battery, two displays, and ten push buttons -- and all the electronics are, you guessed it, printed. But that ain't all! If you're in the biz, the company can customize the product any way you like, with everything from sensor to RFID modules. If you're interested, look up the company's CEO Friedrich Eibenstein. Be sure to tell him Engadget sent you. [Thanks, Barry]
The titanium iPhone is real, really real (video)
You came, you saw, some of you were not convinced. So what's a gadget blog to do when picture evidence isn't enough? Why, get those pictures moving, of course, right up to 30 frames a second. The stunning titanium iPhone 3GS from this morning is back, proving not only its existence in the corporeal realm, but also its much-disputed ability to place a call -- something that even the default plastic-backed units sometimes struggle with. Look, we're not in Austria and therefore can't lick it and tell you if it really tastes of titanium, but on the evidence we have the thing looks legit. Judge for yourself after the break.%Gallery-86374%
Xbox Live Video Marketplace coming to 10 more countries 'this fall'
As far as we know, the kind of laziness which prevents you from visiting the nearest Blockbuster Video is a worldwide phenomenon. According to a press release (.doc link) dropped just in time for CES, Microsoft is catering to this global lethargy by opening up the Xbox Live Video Marketplace to ten more countries this fall: Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, Australia and New Zealand. Basically, if the Xbox Live Video Marketplace was playing Risk, it'd have a kickass lock on the Eastern Hemisphere.
Mechanical piano hacked to talk, says nothing you'd be interested in
It's not exactly the Baroque Vocoder we were hoping for, but an Austrian composer has hacked a mechanical piano to recite text -- and recite text it does (even if you need subtitles and some prompting from the voice-over to understand what it's saying). The video itself is a little skint on technical details -- even if the "wow!" factor remains pretty consistent -- but apparently composer Peter Ablinger took a recording of a child reading the Proclamation of the European Environmental Criminal Court and converted the frequency spectrum to MIDI, which he was then able to play back using the chordophone pictured above. The gang at Hack A Day seems to think that the actual conversion was done in the Pure Data software package, and who are we to argue? We're just wondering how Black Moth Super Rainbow will ever fit this thing onto their tour van. See for yourself after the break. [Via Hack A Day]
Samsung Omnia II coming to Austria in September, WinMo 6.5 included
Samsung's already committed to offering Windows Mobile 6.5 upgrades to Omnia IIs released with 6.1, but just how necessary is that commitment going to end up being in practice? Microsoft's Austrian outpost has announced that the Korean company's latest WinMo superphone will be launching in the domestic market in September with 6.5 already installed -- suggesting that at least some of these handsets in other markets around the world could be coming out of the gate in the same configuration. It also raises new questions about the market launch for 6.5 on a broader scale; we've always known it'd be hitting toward the end of 2009, but we've never gotten an exact date out of anyone for retail availability -- presumably because it has as much to do with manufacturer partners' plans as it does Microsoft's. We're not saying the Austrian Omnia II will be the first WinMo 6.5 retail device anywhere, but at this point, it's looking likely that this'll be in the first wave.[Via WMExperts, TamsPPC, and wmpoweruser, thanks Daniel M.]
32GB iPhone placeholder appears at T-Mobile Austria
Take it for what it's worth (which may be nothing, quite honestly), but a bona fide "iPhone 32GB" placeholder has appeared in the 'Coming Soon' section on T-Mobile Austria's website. Generally speaking, we wouldn't give this kind of slip too much credence, but considering that a similar slip at T-Mobile Germany was accurately foretelling two years ago, we're cautiously optimistic that all those rumors of a more capacious iPhone are legitimate. We hate to remind you that loads of smoke generally leads to fire, but hey, June 8th ain't too far off anyway. Larger screen cap (of the translated-to-English site) is just past the break.[Via AreaMobile] Update: Seems the admin yanked the 32GB iPhone from the page -- oopsie! Update 2: Looks like Vodafone Australia has sent out a notice that the 16GB iPhone has been deemed "End of Life" by Brightpoint, who supplies its iPhones. Are you thinking what we're thinking?
Quantum cryptography: now ready for space travel
It's been awhile since we've heard of any major advancements in the world of quantum cryptography, but at long last the silence is being broken by a squad of jubilant Austrian physicists. As the story goes, a team from Austria's Institute for Quantum Optics and Quantum Information (IQOQI) managed to send "entangled photons" 90 miles between the Spanish islands of Las Palmas and the Balearics. Calling the ephemeral test successful, the crew has boldly asserted that it's now feasible to send "this kind of unbreakable encrypted communication through space using satellites." Funny -- last we remember, quantum cryptography still had a few kinks to work through here beneath the stratosphere.
Austria gets HSPA+ thanks to mobilkom and Ericsson
The Aussies are laughing all the way to 21Mbps, sure, but where's a denizen of the Old World supposed to get their fix? Austria's mobilkom has officially become the first European carrier to launch HSPA+ service, using Ericsson-sourced equipment to offer peak data rates up to the same 21Mbps offered by Telstra. What's more, Ericsson says they'll hit 28Mbps "in the course of the year," so the only challenge left on the table is getting a whole bunch of devices that can take advantage -- USB sticks and ExpressCards are a forgone conclusion, sure, but where are our blazing handsets with five-minute battery lives? [Via SlashPhone]
T-Mobile bringing MDA Compact V, Vario V to Europe in June
We're thinking that HTC's Touch Diamond2 and Pro2 will be available all over the place by the time 2009 draws to a close, but if you want to be one of the first kids on the block to get in on that action, T-Mobile's European outposts are a good place to start looking. The carrier announced at MWC last week that Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, the Netherlands, and the UK will all bet getting a version of the Diamond2 -- the MDA Compact V -- "by" June, while the Pro2 variant -- the MDA Vario V -- will launch more definitively "in" June. As usual, T-Mobile has chosen to customize its models a bit versus the standard fare that HTC is offering; opinions on the new look will vary, but if they're the first to launch, we think we can overlook some design niggles.[Via the::unwired]
Austria's aonTV launches HD programming, Timeshift TV
As the admittedly light adoption of HD continues on continents not named North America, we see Austria's own aonTV hopping on the HD bandwagon. The Vienna-based IPTV carrier has just launched HD-Videothek -- which will carry a mix of hit movies, documentaries and music videos -- and ORF HD, which will be used to carry the upcoming Euro 2008 in high-definition. The cost for picking up the tier is €4.90 on top of the basic €34.90 subscription, though a new service dubbed Timeshift TV is being made available gratis. As the title implies, the feature enables viewers to "replay content from the previous 90 minutes" on 11 different channels. Not exactly a DVR, but we suppose it's better than nothing.
