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EU to launch first two Galileo satellites today, as sat-nav system lurches forward
The EU's Galileo satellite navigation system has been beset by delays and budget overruns in recent months, but its future is looking slightly brighter, now that its first two satellites are primed for launch. The European Space Agency is expected to send the satellites into space today, as part of a long-term project that will cost an estimated €7 billion (around $9.6 billion). Slated to take off from Kourou, French Guiana, the pair of satellites will ride on the back of a Russian rocket to an altitude of nearly 15,000 miles, where they'll test system functions both in space and on Earth. If all goes according to plan, they'll also become Galileo's first operational satellites, paving the way, officials hope, for many more to follow. In fact, the European Commission is looking to complete the 30-satellite constellation by the year 2019, with two scheduled to launch during every quarter, beginning in 2012. The idea, of course, is to offer Europeans an alternative to US-operated GPS, with a free consumer service scheduled to launch in 2014, followed by a more precise, paid service in 2020. Nevertheless, budgetary concerns loom large over the project, which, according to the EC, has already racked up a development and deployment bill of over €5 billion ($6.8 billion), since 2003. The commission will present a finalized proposal to EU member governments by the end of the year, in the hopes of obtaining that extra €7 billion, though it may face more acute criticism, considering today's dour economic climate. It remains unlikely, however, that Galileo will be totally shut down, as the EU says it could bring in an extra €90 billion over the next 20 years.
Will new iPhone designs include Europe's common charger?
Way back in 2009, the European Commission reached a voluntary agreement with 10 mobile phone manufacturers to adopt a standard Micro-USB charge and sync interface. Apple, with its proprietary Dock connector design, was one of the parties that signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) stating that they'd comply. Could the new iPhone(s) expected next week finally move to the standard connector? There are some compelling arguments why Apple won't and will stick with the 30-pin dock connector design for the foreseeable future. On one hand, this isn't legislation, so Apple is under no obligation to comply with the new standard. On the other hand, the company did sign the MoU, and to keep in the good graces of the EU at a time when Apple is locked in a number of patent-infringement battles, the company should follow through. The overwhelming reason that Apple is likely to stick with the dock connector is the huge number of accessories both from Apple and other manufacturers that use that connector. The dock connector is used not only on the iPhone, but also on the iPod touch, iPod Classic, iPod nano, and iPad. If the Dock connector was to be eliminated from the iPhone, accessory manufacturers would need to totally redesign most of the docks and cables that have been produced for the iPhone, and Apple would also need to change the connector port on the other devices. The wording of the MoU is clear: the European Commission requires manufacturers to have a cable assembly that "terminates in a Micro-B plug" (outlined in red in the photo above). But that still doesn't keep Apple from holding onto the dock connector. There's also a section in the agreement which states that "In case a mobile phone does not have this connector (Micro-USB) integrated into the device, an Adaptor may be available to ensure compatibility. An 'Adaptor' is defined as a device with a Micro-USB receptacle/plug connecting to a specific non Micro-USB connector." My take on this is that Apple will most likely ship new European iPhones with a USB Standard-A cable that ends in a Micro-B plug, along with a Micro-B to Dock connector adapter. This means that Apple complies with the word of the agreement and also keeps backward compatibility with the thousands of dock connector accessories. For the EU, it's a win as there is one standard charger design for all phones made by the ten signatories. For Apple, it's also a win since the company only needs to design an adaptor to go from the Micro-B end of the charging cable to the dock connector. And for the accessory manufacturers, it's time to breathe a big sigh of relief, knowing that every product they've made over the past few years will still work properly.
European Commission regains sanity, cancels €22 million SYMBEOSE project
Last November, to the surprise and dismay of many, the European Commission decided it needed to stimulate some homegrown innovation in the mobile space and pulled together €22 million in a public/private investment designed to help Symbian get ahead. It was intended to turn Nokia's former lover into the Embedded Operating System for Europe (hence the name SYMBEOSE), but alas the breakup between Symbian and the Finnish mobile maker was too much to overcome. The EC has decided, quite rightly, that there's no sense in continuing its symbtopia project, and now a member of Neelie Kroes' team has confirmed the entire venture has been cancelled. European taxpayers (two of whom you see on the right) will also be glad to know that no money has exchanged hands, so the bullet has been well and truly dodged. Guess that's why they're looking so happy. [Thanks, Danijel] Update: Nokia has confirmed the foregoing in a statement, which you can find after the break.
iPhone location data to be closely regulated in Europe
The fuss over the storage of location data by iOS has crossed international waters. The EU data protection advisory panel, a watchdog group that advises the European Commission, has said that location data is personal data. This ruling may lead to further restrictions limiting how this data may be used by Apple, advertisers and third-party applications. The panel further recommended that companies need to get permission from smartphone owners before collecting location data and should be clear about how this data is being used. The group also suggests location services should be switched off by default. These proposals may become the early framework for a new law regulating location data in the EU. Eventually, these and other similar proposals could be included in Europe's broader revised Data Protection Directive later this year.
Prague to host world's most powerful laser
To us, Prague will always be the Eastern European capital of roast duck, potato dumplings and tasty, cheap pilsner. But come 2015, the former Soviet Bloc city will also become home to the world's most powerful laser, as part of the European Union's Extreme Light Infrastructure project. According to plans released by the European Commission, the laser will produce peak power in the exawatt range (equivalent to one trillion megawatts). So, for a very small fraction of a second, the beam will generate one million times more power than the entire U.S. electric grid. Believe it or not, that's plenty of time to conduct experiments that could reveal new cancer treatments and ways to deal with nuclear waste. Breakthroughs in either category would be incredible for the €700 million (about $1 billion) project, which also includes future plans to build two similar lasers, and a third that's twice as powerful the Prague installation -- roughly the same current draw as an HTC Thunderbolt. [Image courtesy of Instructables]
European Commission mandates LTE and WiMAX on 900Mhz and 1800MHz bands for 2012
Color us tickled, but the European Commission has revised its technical rules for the use of 900MHz and 1800MHz spectrums, compelling member states to make room for LTE and WiMAX service by December 31, 2011. As a goal, the EU hopes to provide broadband to all rural Europeans by 2013, and foresees 4G signal on the long-range 900MHz spectrum as the solution. The Commission also released guidelines to ensure UMTS, LTE and WiMAX will co-exist on the 1800MHz spectrum -- a decision that lays the groundwork for global LTE roaming. Now, how about some mandates on those outrageous international roaming charges? Check out the details in the press release after the break. [Image courtesy of Flickr]
EU investigation to take a closer look at net neutrality
The EU has commissioned an investigation into how European ISPs handle traffic and manage their networks, in a move that could lead to new legislation on net neutrality. The investigation, to be conducted by the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC), will cover both mobile and fixed Internet providers, with particularly close attention paid to any barriers consumers may face when changing operators. BEREC will also consult with consumers and corporations to determine whether or not ISPs are being completely transparent about their traffic management practices, or advertised connection speeds. In a speech delivered yesterday, Neelie Kroes, the European Commission's Vice President for the Digital Agenda, admitted that some ISPs need to restrict some bandwidth-heavy services in order to protect their networks, but promised to publicly name and take action against any operators found to be stifling competition or consumer choice: "Mark my words: if measures to enhance competition are not enough to bring Internet providers to offer real consumer choice, I am ready to prohibit the blocking of lawful services or applications. It's not OK for Skype and other such services to be throttled. That is anti-competitive. It's not OK to rip off consumers on connection speeds." It's unlikely, however, that the EU will implement legislation as pointed as the net neutrality rules the FCC unveiled in the US, nor as expansive as the law that Chile introduced last summer. In a report issued yesterday, the EU affirmed that "operators should be allowed to determine their own business models and commercial arrangements" -- words that no doubt delighted many in Europe's ISP community. The results of BEREC's investigation are due to be published by the end of the year.
Microsoft lodges antitrust complaint against Google with European Commission, ignores irony
So Microsoft doesn't like anticompetitive behavior, huh? Since when? Brad Smith, General Counsel for the Redmond rabblerousers, has posted a lengthy blog post outlining Microsoft's concerns with "a pattern of actions that Google has taken to entrench its dominance" in online search and ads, which he claims is detrimental to European consumers. Funnily enough, half the post is about Google's legal issues in the US, but we'll set that aside for now. What this boils down to is that Microsoft is finally taking the gloves off -- Google accused it of pushing other companies to do its dirty work -- and is now adding its name to the list of objectors to Mountain View's stranglehold on search in Europe. The European Commission is already taking a regulatory looksee at Google's tactics, so this isn't sparking off a new investigation, but it does add the glamor of two big names locking legal horns yet again. Hit the source link for Brad's exposition of Google's villainous wrongdoings.
Android may save the day for Apple's iPad subscription policy in the EU
There may never be an official "thank you" note sent, but Apple may be secretly grateful for the explosion of Android tablets about to hit the market. Apple is under the watchful eye of both the United States and the European Union's regulatory bodies regarding its new subscription policy for the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. The terms of this new policy have prompted some to question whether it runs afoul of current anti-competitive regulations. These anti-competitive concerns may be allayed when the tidal wave of Android tablets lands, and both consumers and publishers can choose between Android and iOS for their media consumption and distribution needs. European Union commissioner Andris Piebalgs echoes this sentiment when he writes to a European Parliament member, saying that "alternative applications platforms exist and several companies have recently launched or are expected to launch in the near future a number of devices similar in terms of functionality to the iPad." Though this statement was released prior to Apple's subscription changes and Google's One Pass announcement, its premise of increased competition from Android tablets remains the same. With an influx of Android tablets slated for release and an alternative subscription service, market forces and not a single company's policies will shape the future of digital media. Of course, this laissez-faire sentiment may change when regulators catch wind of Readability, a paid web service whose app was reportedly rejected from the App Store because it does not offer an in-app subscription option.
European Union's 'One charger for all' starts sampling, coming this year
It was way back in summer of 2009 that Nokia, Apple, RIM, and the rest of the mobile world agreed to make micro-USB the connector around which all future European chargers would be built. Since then, most of those companies have transitioned their hardware to micro-USB without further prompting, but the European Union is still pushing ahead with a universally compatible charger standard to make sure everything is nice and harmonized. The details of what's expected of these chargers were published in December and now the first samples of the new hardware have been produced. The EU expects all manufacturers to have chargers adhering to the new guidelines by the end of 2011 -- and if you're wondering about how Apple, one of the signatories to this agreement, will handle it, there's a note to say that adapters will be allowed on phones without a micro-USB port. Full press release after the break.
EU's Galileo sat-nav system's budget overruns continue, European Commission asks for an extra €1.9 billion
The European Commission has just completed its mid-term review of the EU's Galileo satellite navigation system and -- surprise, surprise -- they found that they need an additional €1.9 billion ($2.56 billion) to finish the system. This latest budget recommendation ups the cost an extra €200 million ($269 million) since the Commission's last report, and cites larger development and more expensive launch vehicles for the increase. The EU remains optimistic that Galileo will provide a financial windfall when completed -- but given its estimated €800 million ($1 billion) per year operating costs, constant delays, and competition from Russia, China, and good old-fashioned GPS, we're not so sure we agree.
European standardization bodies formalize micro-USB cellphone charger standard
It's been more than a year since Nokia, Apple, RIM, Motorola and just about every other major cellphone manufacturer agreed on a micro-USB cellphone charger standard for Europe, but the two key European standards bodies have just now finally followed up on their end of the bargain. CEN-CENELEC and ETSI have today published harmonized standards for a universal cellphone charger based on micro-USB, which has now put the ball back in the manufacturers' court to actually produce phones that rely on the newly standardized chargers. According to the European Commission, the first of those are expect to arrive sometime "in the first months of 2011," and it expects the chargers to be "predominant" within two years. Head on past the break for the official announcement. [Thanks, Pavel]
Google to face formal EU antitrust investigation over unfair downranking of search competitors
Way back in February, the European Union announced its intention to look into allegations made against Google that the search leader wasn't ranking its competitors fairly in the results it delivered. Well, that fact-finding mission seems to have unearthed at least some hint of impropriety on Google's part, as it's now shed the "preliminary" label and has become a full-on antitrust probe. The original complaints came from EJustice.fr, Foundem.co.uk, and Microsoft's price comparison service Ciao, and they're still the basis of the investigation, though secondary issues, such as Google's conditions for advertisers and the way it tracks ad campaign data, will also be looked at. Let's not forget, however, that we're still dealing with allegations here, and it's going to be quite tricky to show any misdoing without delving into Google's famed algorithms and internal practices -- then again, maybe that's exactly what Mountain View's competitors are after. Update: Google has responded to the news on its Public Policy Blog.
Europe drops €22M into Symbian, Harrods shopping spree seems inevitable
Don't count the Symbian Foundation out just yet, because the European Commission has emerged like a knight in shining armor thanks to a €22 million public / private joint investment and a new consortium of some 24 organizations awkwardly called SYMBEOSE: "Symbian – the Embedded Operating System for Europe." Needless to say, it seems like some of the higher-ups across the continent are feeling a little emotional about the hometown platform -- especially now that it's starting to take a lot of heat -- and have thrown some skin in the game to keep things interesting. For its part, the Foundation says that the initiative (and presumably the money) will go toward developing "new core platform capabilities," exploring cloud computing, and broadening the platform's hardware ecosystem, among other things. Oh, and new Air Jordans would be nice. For Christmas, maybe. [Thanks, Ronald]
EU's Galileo satnav system orbiting way past budget, delayed until 2017
Up and running by 2014? Try 2017 at the very earliest. Such is the bogus news coming out of the European Commission today, as reported by the German Financial Times. Shockingly enough, the ill-organized Galileo navigation network has suffered from yet more delays, which have pushed it back by a further three years and even deeper into the budgetary red. An additional €1.5b to €1.7b will be required to complete the grand project, while fiscal recalculations now indicate that it's unlikely to ever turn a profit. Again, we are shocked. The total bill for European taxpayers is estimated to amount to somewhere in the region of €20 billion ($27.8b) when development, construction, and operation are all factored in. Ah well, it's a cash drain, but at least it'll divert funds from the EU's suicidal scheme of paying farmers to not farm. Every cloud has a silver lining, right?
EU plans to end Apple antitrust investigation in light of relaxed iPhone rules
It seems like Apple's legal team is constantly embroiled in a pitched battle of some sort, but this weekend they might get to relax -- citing recent iPhone policy changes, the European Commission's decided to stop breathing down their necks. Though the EU originally joined the US Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission in investigating why Cupertino chose to block third-party dev tools and ads earlier this year, the fact that Apple recently relaxed both restrictions (and created a repair program for iPhones purchased abroad) satisfied European regulators. "The Commission intends to close the investigations into these matters," it wrote earlier today. There's no guarantee that the US powers-that-be will exercise similar leniency, of course, but we wouldn't be surprised -- even inside Apple, the DoJ's got other fish to fry.
European Commission lays out new broadband plan, reserves spectrum for mobile broadband
It's not quite the law of the land just yet, but the European Commission has just laid out some far-reaching new broadband rules that, if implemented, could have some wide ranging implications. Some of the basic rules were first announced earlier this year in the so-called Digital Agenda, including a mandate for basic broadband access across the EU by 2013, and a 30Mbps minimum by 2020. Perhaps most notably, however, is that the Commission has recommended that spectrum in the 800MHz band between 790-862MHz (being vacated as TV broadcasters make the switch to digital) be set aside for mobile broadband use by 2013. Just how much will it cost to implement the recommendations? Between 180 and 270 billion euros, or between 240 and 360 billion US dollars. That's obviously not going to come easily, but the Commision apparently thinks its doable, and notes that a number of measures have already been put in place to increase funding.
European Commission investigating Apple's stance on Flash
In June, the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) began an investigation into Apple's decision to ban developers from using Adobe's Flash-to-iPhone compiler and similar tools to create apps for iOS devices. Apple has also banned Adobe Flash from iOS devices, throwing its full support behind HTML5 as a much more efficient and stable alternative. The New York Post reported today that the FTC isn't the only governmental authority looking into Apple's Flash ban. Now the European Commission has joined the FTC probe based on concerns that Apple's business practices harm competition. Apple's viewpoint is that the ban is well within its rights, and is necessary to maintain the high level of quality in iOS applications. The investigation is expected to last another four to six months. In the meantime, Flash is appearing (in an unofficial and not fully functional way) on jailbroken iPhone 4s with the release of Frash earlier this week. [via MacRumors]
EU sets aside €6.4b for research and innovation grants
For all its foibles, the European Union does fancy itself as quite the progressive supranational body and you need look no further than its gigantic €50.5 billion (to be spent between 2007 and 2013) R&D stimulus program for evidence. Over the next 14 months, the Euro bureau will distribute €6.4 billion to universities, SMEs (small and medium enterprises) and other research organizations that seek to pursue its stated goals. Those include tackling the problems of climate change, the Union's greying population, food and energy source security and sustainability, as well as more generic health and quality of life challenges. The primary goal is stated as "translating research into new technologies, products and services" -- in other words, less vaporware -- though we imagine the biggest justifier for this sizable injection de dinero will be the 165,000 new jobs that it's expected to create. Full PR after the break.
DRAM cartel settles with European Commission, will pay €331 million fine
When the U.S. Department of Justice brought an antitrust suit against PC memory manufacturers in 2002, the RAM you see above wasn't even a twinkle in an engineer's eye... but seven years after Micron revealed the existence of a price fixing cartel and four years after Samsung sent three executives to jail and paid a $300 million penalty, the European Commission has slapped DRAM manufacturers with yet another fine. Those who 'fessed up early were partially let off the hook, but Infineon and Hynix will shoulder €57 million and €51 million respectively, while Samsung owes Europe a cool €145 million for its role in the scandal. Of course, for a company that counts a quarterly $459 million in profit during an off year, we're talking about another slap on the wrist.
