luxembourg
Latest
Amazon handed record $888 million fine from EU data privacy watchdog
Amazon is facing a record $888 million GDPR fine in Luxembourg.
Disney+ will launch in eight more European countries on September 15th
Disney+ will arrive in a further eight European countries in September.
US and Luxembourg sign 'space commerce' pact
The current US government relishes the thought of bringing business to space, and it's now eager to make deals with countries that share the same dreams. The US has signed a memorandum of understanding with Luxembourg in a bid to cooperate further on space exploration, research and, to no one's surprise, a "business-friendly regulatory framework." Luxembourg's Deputy Prime Minister Étienne Schneider didn't mince words when talking about the pact -- his country is eager to make asteroid mining a reality, and the US relationship could be an "important step forward" in making use of those resources.
Tesla and Luxembourg squabble over failed Model S braking test
Did you think Tesla could move past braking complaints just because it addressed the issue with the Model 3? Luxembourg certainly doesn't. The European country's testing and standards body ILNAS has put itself at odds with Tesla after conducting an unusually public emergency braking test (media outlets like Luremberg Wort got to watch) that compared a 2015-era Model S to a new Volvo S90.The Model S failed the test in spectacular fashion, according to observers, crashing into a dummy car (above) at just under 19MPH where the S90 could avoid it at 37MPH. It didn't look good for Tesla, but the company unsurprisingly took issue with the results.
EU: Amazon must pay back €250 million in unfair tax benefits
The European Commission says that Amazon received tax benefits from member country Luxembourg that totalled around €250 million. Under EU State aid rules, this is illegal and the country has been told it must recover this sum. Amazon was able to pay substantially less tax -- the commission says the company was paying four times less than other local companies. Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said: "Following an in-depth investigation launched in October 2014, the Commission has concluded that a tax ruling issued by Luxembourg in 2003, and prolonged in 2011, lowered the tax paid by Amazon in Luxembourg without any valid justification."
France and Germany want Apple and Google to pay their taxes
France and Germany are looking to make major tech companies like Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon begin paying their fair share of taxes. The move comes as many European leaders have expressed frustration at how these companies focus their profits and costs in countries that tax them at the lowest rates. "Europe must learn to defend its economic interest much more firmly -- China does it, the U.S. does it," French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire told Bloomberg. "You cannot take the benefit of doing business in France or in Europe without paying the taxes that other companies -- French or European companies -- are paying."
Luxembourg's asteroid mining law takes effect August 1st
Luxembourg's parliament has voted in favor of passing an asteroid mining law that give companies ownership of what they extract from the celestial bodies. The European country has been working on the bill since 2016 and originally intended to pass it earlier this year. It took a bit more time to iron things out, but in the end, it's gotten an overwhelmingly unanimous vote and is scheduled to take effect on August 1st.
Estonia will back up its government in a 'digital embassy'
The rules on what governments can, and can't, do with your personal data is based entirely on where the information is stored. Since tech companies shunt your stuff to servers across the globe, there's a risk that an oppressive regime can use its rights to start peeking at your stuff. That's why it's interesting that Estonia has signed a deal to open what it's calling the world's first "data embassy" in Luxembourg.
Space mining gets a boost through Luxembourg's new law
American asteroid mining companies are allowed to keep their hauls, but what about European outfits? They should be set from now on. Luxembourg (which already has its own space mining tech) has adopted a draft law that gives private operations the right to keep what they take from asteroids and other near Earth objects, so long as they get authorization for their mission and obey international law. This doesn't let anyone lay claim to spaceborne entities, the country says -- it just eliminates the uncertainty when that material arrives on the ground. The law should take effect sometime in early 2017.
Luxembourg's spacecraft will test its asteroid mining tech
Luxembourg is pouring some of its wealth into the development and launch of a spacecraft that could make it even richer. The tiny European country has teamed up with California-based Deep Space Industries to create Prospector-X, an experimental spacecraft designed to test some of their asteroid-mining technologies.
Europe rules e-books won't get tax breaks like paper books
Isn't it ironic that tiny nuances of tax law can often cause colossal results out in the real world? It's one of those judgments that has rocked Europe after its highest court ruled that e-books aren't actually goods at all. Currently, paper books sold in the EU are subjected to a smaller amount of sales tax, since having an educated, literate population is generally considered to be a good thing. France and Luxembourg, seeing no difference between books and e-books, have been offering similar discounts on the latter since 2012.
First private mission to the moon blasts off aboard a Chinese rocket
A Chinese Long March rocket has blasted off for a lunar flyby today, bringing with it a spacecraft for what claims to be the first privately funded mission to the moon. This spacecraft (attached to the rocket's upper stage) is a 31-pound vehicle called 4M manufactured by Luxembourg-based company LuxSpace. 4M will be broacasting signals throughout the duration of its journey (it has already started doing so), and anybody on Earth is welcome to try and receive/decode those messages. In fact, the company wants to encourage radio amateurs (even you) to join in by holding contests later on -- just check out 4M's mission page for clues on where to begin.
The EU is investigating Amazon for a potentially illegal tax deal
After setting Apple firmly in its crosshairs, the European Commission is now targeting retail giant Amazon's tax dealings. In a press release this morning, the Commission announced it's opened an "in-depth investigation" into the company's tax status in the tiny country of Luxembourg -- home to Amazon's European subsidiary. Since 2003, Amazon has recorded the majority of its regional profits in the country, but those profits are not taxed there. As with the aforementioned Apple probe, the Commission believes that the favorable tax deal is tantamount to illegal state aid, and will now investigate Amazon and Luxembourg in an attempt to prove that. So far, Luxembourg has failed to fully comply with requests for further information, but with the Commission turning up the heat, it's unlikely that either party will be able to hide from the investigation.
Netflix's European tour comes to an end in Belgium and Luxembourg
This week began with Netflix launching streaming video service in France, and since then it's added Germany, Austria and Switzerland to the list. Belgium and Luxembourg are the final two on the list this fall, putting them among the 40 or so countries where Netflix now offers its services. CEO Reed Hastings (pictured above at the launch event in Berlin) called out the " incredible viewer enthusiasm" for the service's original series, including the ones coming to Europe for the first time like Orange is the New Black and Bojack Horseman. Upcoming Netflix series will remain exclusive to the service as well -- some of the existing ones like House of Cards are tied up in exclusivity deals with other broadcasters for now. Netflix is also the only place to (legally) watch a few other shows like From Dusk Till Dawn, Fargo and Penny Dreadful. No matter what country you're in, if you're looking for the something to watch we have a few suggestions on how to find it. If you just want the exclusives though, a recent tweak to the website means you can just search for "Netflix" and they will appear.
Netflix could launch in France on a technicality
Netflix could soon arrive to the streaming-deprived netizens of France, but looks set to use a Luxembourg loophole to dodge stringent film industry laws, according to Les Echos. The US company has a similar arrangement in the UK and other parts of the EU, mainly for tax reasons. In France, however, broadcasters must also re-invest around a quarter of their revenues in French and European productions due to cultural protection laws. Netflix would be exempt from those rules in Luxembourg, and the French Culture Minister told Le Figaro that she couldn't block the company from operating in France that way. Still, with Netflix rumored to be coming there this fall, the film industry is already lobbying for foreign-based streaming companies to pay the same fees as local broadcasters. And as Google learned, regulators there don't tolerate any merde.
Google Maps brings biking navigation to six European countries
Summer is the prime season for European cyclists, whether they're racing the Tour de France or just embarking on voyages of self-discovery. It's a good thing, then, that Google Maps' biking directions have reached six more European countries. Those in France, Ireland, Germany, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg and Poland can now plot pedal-friendly routes using their phones and the web. Google may miss a hidden trail or two when it's crowdsourcing the data through Map Maker, but the upgrade should still help riders avoid the inevitable crush of tourist traffic.
Google Play Music spreads to Australia, New Zealand and five European nations
Google has been on something of a tear spreading its Google Play media services around the world; don't look now, but it's picking up the pace. The search giant is expanding Google Play Music today to cover Australia, Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Luxembourg, New Zealand and Portugal. That small deluge of new countries can now shop for their favorite tunes as well as store up to 20,000 of them online for streaming, either on the web or on Android devices. Large swaths of the world remain uncovered by the service -- ahem, Canada -- but we'll still welcome a big step toward cloud music for everyone. [Thanks, Chris]
PSA: iPhone 5 available in 22 more countries, on Cricket and US regional carriers galore
Disappointed that your country or favorite carrier missed the initial cut for the iPhone 5 launch? Odds are that you're all good now. Worldwide, 22 more countries have joined the mix as of today, including wide swaths of Europe as well as New Zealand; you'll find the full list in the release here. Americans also don't have to turn to the big carriers, as they can now opt for prepaid carrier Cricket in addition to a slew of extra providers that include C Spire as well as regionals like GCI and nTelos. In some cases, you'll even snag a discount by going with one of the smaller networks. If you bagged an iPhone in Barcelona, or caught one on Cellcom, let others know how it's going in the comments. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Microsoft and Nokia bring enhanced traffic data to Windows Phone, announce international plans
Cross-pollination is a beautiful thing. In the natural world, it brings bountiful harvests and pretty flowers. In the mobile world, we benefit from the sharing of ideas and technologies. Case in point is Windows Phone, as Microsoft has just announced that it's adopted traffic information from Nokia into the Maps app of its mobile OS. In addition to providing Windows Phone users in the US with more detailed overviews of traffic flows and congestion, the functionality will soon become available for many cities across the globe. Perhaps the move shouldn't come as a total surprise, as just last month, Microsoft revealed the inclusion of Nokia's "Where" platform within Bing Maps. As for future availability, citizens of Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine and the United Kingdom will benefit from the sharing of technologies within the next few weeks. For the moment, however, just hop the break, where you can see the before / after traffic data that's now available to Los Angeles residents.
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.
