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T-Mobile? Or Vodafone?
Who will win Europe's iPhone distribution deal? I've been hearing Vodafone for a long time now but today TechDigest posts that T-Mobile may have the edge. Those usual suspects, the 'unnamed sources", are back. And this time those know-it-alls are saying that T-Mobile, which is owned by Deutsche Telekom, has taken over the lead. Unfortunately, T-Mobile does not seem to have a big presence, at least according to the article, in France, Spain or Italy. Also, it's unclear whether the iPhone will have a eurowide release or be introduced in different countries in stages. There's still, what, eight months or so before the iPhone bows in Europe. Is the iPhone going to get an exclusive deal? Who do you think will be the provider? Or will there be many operators and none of this exclusive nonsense?
SmartWeb project to use P2P networks to keep drivers informed
Intelligent roadways are nothing new, as we've seen project after project (and even countries) look at varying ways to keep drivers informed whilst cruising about, but a new rendition showcased at CeBIT is looking to utilize P2P networking in order to spread pertinent information about road hazards to drivers behind the mishap. SmartWeb, which is being coordinated by the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence along with a myriad of other corporations, would allow vehicles to detect hazards (such as an oil slick or road block) and pass the information on to surrounding vehicles in order to hopefully prevent accidents and give motorists ample time to locate a detour. This doesn't mark the first time P2P has been used for the betterment of mankind, and the data would reportedly be conveyed via a "dashboard screen or through a mobile handset," potentially adding yet another distraction to overload our brains while trying to remain between the blinking yellow lines. Of course, those of you with real-time traffic updates are already on top of the game, but we could definitely see this technology being marketable to thrill-seeking cops looking to pinpoint information feeds coming from speeding criminals.
European carriers to control adult content
If you're a adolescent living in the EU, consider your access to adult content coming to a rather abrupt end shortly. Thanks to some of the major carriers in Europe -- including Orange, Vodafone, and Deutsche Telekom -- efforts to control objective material on children's phones are underway. With an amazing 70 percent penetration rate among 12 - 13 year olds and almost 25 percent among 8 - 9 year olds, there are strong efforts to remove access to such services. Unless you're an 8, 9, 12, or 13 year old, that is, in which case this is all hogwash to you.
Microsoft IPTV makes its way to France
Europe seems next on this list for Microsoft's slow and steady rollout of IPTV, which got under way in the States around the beginning of this year. Switzerland got an early glimpse of the service in 2005, with Swisscom and Microsoft running some early tests, but their planned rollout stalled when Swisscom decided Microsoft's offering was a bit half-baked. To kick things off, Germany's Deutsche Telekom is busting out the service via their Club Internet service in France, offering HDTV, dual show watching simultaneously, and 50 hour DVR capability. Existing Club Internet customers can sign up at the end of the month, and new customers can nab the service in August. Deutsche Telekom hopes to bring the same offering to Germany sometime this summer, and Britain's BT Group is planning on Microsoft IPTV later this year. We'll have to wait and see how this Microsoft-flavored tech will fare against traditional TV offerings in Europe, especially now that HDTV is getting underway in England and elsewhere, but it could all come down to price -- which is as of yet unannounced.
