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Google Stadia is now available in eight more European countries
Players in Portugal, Switzerland and Slovakia among others have access starting today.
Microsoft will pay $25 million to settle Hungary bribery charges
Microsoft is on the hook at home for alleged crimes abroad. The company has agreed to pay about $25 million in settlements with both the Justice Department and SEC over charges that its Hungary subsidiary violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. The division allegedly discounted prices for its resellers and distributors between 2013 and 2015, using the increased profit margins to fund bribes for government officials and clinch lucrative software deals with Microsoft.
Experimental AI lie detector will help screen EU travelers
In the future, you might talk to an AI to cross borders in the European Union. The EU and Hungary's National Police will run a six-month pilot project, iBorderCtrl, that will help screen travelers in Hungary, Greece and Latvia. The system will have you upload photos of your passport, visa and proof of funds, and then use a webcam to answer basic questions from a personalized AI border agent. The virtual officer will use AI to detect the facial microexpressions that can reveal when someone is lying. At the border, human agents will use that info to determine what to do next -- if there are signs of lying or a photo mismatch, they'll perform a more stringent check.
Feds investigate Microsoft for alleged bribery in Hungary
U.S. authorities are investigating Microsoft for potential bribery and corruption in software sales in Hungary, according to the Wall Street Journal. In 2013 and 2014, Microsoft allegedly sold software such as Word and Excel at a steep discount to middleman companies, which then sold the same products to the Hungarian government at a much higher price. The U.S. Justice Department and Securities and Exchange Commission are trying to figure out if the difference between the two prices were used as government kickbacks. It is illegal under the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act for businesses to engage in corporate bribery and corruption overseas.
Uber will stop operating in Hungary on July 24th
Every anti-Uber government has a different strategy for combating the ride-sharing app. For France, it's dealing out a $900,000 fine, which is a slap on the wrist for a company that just got a $3.5 billion investment from Saudi Arabia. But Hungary is hitting far harder, passing legislation that restricts the service so absolutely that Uber is suspending its operations indefinitely on July 24th.
Hyperloop deal would link three European capitals
One of the companies vying to make Elon Musk's transportation dream a reality has signed a deal with the government of Slovakia to explore building a three-country Hyperloop. Crowdsourced engineering project Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT) will look into a route that links three European capitals. From Vienna, Austria to Bratislava, Slovakia, and from Bratislava to Budapest, Hungary.
Hungary's internet tax axed after public protests
Barely a week after it was first proposed, Hungary's internet tax looks to be dead in the water. Tens of thousands of Hungarians took to the streets last weekend to protest the tax, which would have seen internet use charged per gigabyte transferred. The plan was expected to rake in around $80 million per year, mostly from companies, but following the protests Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban said it "cannot be introduced in its current form," explaining that it was intended as a "telecommunications tax," but was perceived as an "internet tax." Instead, the Hungarian government will enter a period of "national consultation" for "a long time" to rework the proposal to the public's liking. With their goals achieved, it's unlikely protesters will return to the streets this weekend. Victory parade, anyone? [Image Credit: Laszlo Beliczay MTI / AP Photo]
'Internet tax' sparks huge protests in Hungary
Hungary needs cash, so it seemed like a pretty clever idea to tax that most necessary of utilities: the internet. Unfortunately, while the notion may have gone down well with the nation's accountants, the feeling wasn't shared amongst the general population. That's why tens of thousands of Hungarians spent Saturday night protesting in Budapest. According to the Wall Street Journal, the people also believe that the tax is an attempt to limit access to information and keep everyone watching state-run media. It's not just the local internet fiends who are up in arms, either, since Europe's digital chief, Neelie Kroes, took to Twitter to call the move a "shame on the Hungarian government." For its part, Hungary's government affirmed a pledge to cap the tax at 700 forints (around $2.88) a month, and pointed out that it's the ISPs that are meant to pay, not the households. That said, we wouldn't be surprised if the companies didn't start putting a 701 forint surcharge on the next few bills with maintenance, or something in the description. [Image Credit: Laszlo Beliczay MTI / AP Photo]
Hungary needs cash, so it wants to tax internet traffic
It's probably a good thing that Google got its Street View surveil of Hungary in when it did, because a new tax being proposed could make internet traffic in the country more expensive. A tax bill draft sent to parliament could impose a 150 forints fee (about $0.62) per each gigabyte transferred. Hungarian politicians are defending this move by saying that because of the way telecommunications have changed, so does how they need to be taxed. Estimates for the proposed income? Somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 billion forints, according to Reuters.
Google Street View adds Hungary and Lesotho, hits 50-country milestone
If you've been taking far too many virtual road trips after employing the (unofficial) Street View Hyperlapse chauffeur, you may be running out of places to go next. Well, today Google has added Hungary and Lesotho (a country within South Africa) to the list of lands you can vicariously visit, which brings the total number of Street View-catalogued countries to 50. This being the "largest single update" since, well, the last big one, Google has also added "new and updated imagery for nearly 350,000 miles of roads across 14 countries," including more places of interest for its special collections, thanks to the Street View trike. So, why venture outdoors this lunchtime, when you can wander the streets of Budapest instead?
Google Art Project adds nearly 2,000 works, from street art to prized photos
The Google Art Project could be considered a safeguard for culture when it's preserving work that's not just difficult to see, but may disappear at the drop of a hat. Witness Google's latest addition of 30 partners, and almost 2,000 pieces of art, as proof. The collection includes 100-plus examples of high-profile graffiti and street art from Sao Paulo, some of which aren't guaranteed to survive unscathed; there's also 300-plus photos from Spain's Fundacion MAPFRE and a famous Hungarian poem whose original copy is usually too fragile to show. Although the digital expansion won't replace booking a flight to visit the artwork first-hand, it may prevent some urban masterpieces from fading into obscurity.
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]
iTunes in the Cloud movies find their way to Australia, Canada, the UK and 32 more countries
The advent of movie support in iTunes for the Cloud was a boon to Apple TV owners as well as any iTunes user with a tendency to hop between devices -- within the US, that is. Apple today swung the doors open and let Australia, Canada, the UK as well as 32 other countries and regions around the world get access to their movies whenever they're signed in through iTunes or an iOS device. Not every studio is on the same page, as many American viewers will know all too well: it's more likely that you'll get re-download rights for a major studio title such as Lockout than an indie production, for example. Even with that limit in mind, there's no doubt more than a few movie mavens glad to avoid shuffling and re-syncing that copy of Scott Pilgrim to watch it through to the end.
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.
Nokia ends European, Mexican production: it's all Asia now (Updated)
Nokia's wielding another axe to its operations, cleaving away a further 4,000 employees from its operations in Finland, Hungary and Mexico. It follows a shedding of roughly 10,000 employees and a troubled withdrawal from Romania as the company pushes more operations towards Asia in an attempt to compete with its competitors. Whilst no more phones will be assembled in Europe, the company isn't closing the facilities outright, they'll be retained for "high value activities" (presumably R&D and other big-ticket projects). Whatever comes of Steven Elop's reign of the world's number one handset maker, it's clear to see that he's got a plan and he's sticking to it.Update: Nokia got in touch to clarify that the factory in Manaus, Brazil is unaffected by these cuts. The three factories mentioned (in Salo, Reynosa and Komarom) will furthermore be used for the software-portion of production, including installing carrier-and-region-specific features in the Americas, Europe and Eurasia. Hardware assembly will now take place at the company's existing facilities in Beijing (China) and Masan (South Korea).
Steve Jobs statue unveiled in Budapest
Tech Crunch reports that a life-size statue of Steve Jobs has been unveiled in Budapest, Hungary. The statue captures Jobs with an iPhone in one hand and gesturing with the other as he strides across an imaginary keynote stage. It was commissioned by Gabor Bojar, the founder and chairman of Hungarian software development house Graphisoft. The bronze statue was sculpted by Hungarian sculptor Erno Toth and stands near the entrance to Graphisoft's headquarters. Bojar commissioned the statue as a tribute to Jobs, who helped the architectural software firm when it was starting up in the early 80s. Bojar was quoted as saying, "Apple's support included cash and computers at a time when GRAPHISOFT was a small company with limited resources, working within the economic and political confines of what was, at the time, communist Hungary." The product that Graphisoft developed -- ArchiCAD -- is used by many architectural firms and is in its fifteenth version. It would be even more of a tribute to Jobs if the architects of the new Apple headquarters in Cupertino used ArchiCAD to design the huge, spaceship-like main building and campus.
Hungarian software company casts Jobs in bronze to remember him
A Hungarian software company named Graphisoft has decided to erect a bronze bust of Steve Jobs in the country's capital of Budapest to celebrate the life and times of Apple's founder. Graphisoft's founder first met Jobs back in 1984, and Jobs has since offered lots of advice, insight, and even financial help to Graphisoft, even while Hungary was under communist rule. The statue will depict Jobs standing and making a presentation, with one arm stretched out and some sort of iPhone-like remote in his other hand. The statue, which will stand 7 feet tall and have a plaque in the shape of an iPad on it, will be placed in an area called Graphisoft Park, where a number of other commercial technical firms are also located. The plaque will also bear a quote from Jobs himself: "The only way to do great work is to love what you do." Touching. We didn't really expect to ever see a Jobs statue in Budapest, but clearly Jobs touched quite a few lives all over the world.
Apple opens online stores for Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, UAE
Apple expanded its online reach by opening stores in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and the United Arab Emirates. Apple celebrated the event with a brightly colored confetti banner on each country's website that announced the grand opening. Customers in these above countries will be able to shop online directly with Apple, buy extended Apple Care plans, and receive online sales support just like we do here in the US. With these four new storefronts, Apple now has online stores in 37 countries. In many of these countries, it'll be interesting to see if Apple's online storefront has an impact on local retailers. In the UAE, many Apple products are sold by third-party retailers like Sharaf DG and Carrefour UAE and their prices tend to be more expensive than Apple. With the global economy struggling, we wonder how well these retailers will compete against Apple's strong online presence. [Via The National]
Gigantic LED wall provides gaming at Sziget Fest, destroys your cred from miles away
We can't think of a better way to promote your company than with a 30 meter high (10 stories) tower filled with all sorts of tech goodness. Vodafone plans on doing just that, with what will be the tallest building in Hungarian festival history at next week's Sziget Festival. This monstrosity will not only be a lookout platform, but it will employ 250 square meters (about 2690 square feet) of LED walls. For what, you might ask? Why, gaming of course -- festival goers can play Rocket Bullet Storm, if they're man or woman enough to risk their gamer cred in front of thousands. If using 1.5 million LED units wasn't enough to entice attendees, the structure will also offer free internet access, charging stations and host DJ sets that last through the night. We can only hope that this will catch on elsewhere, so that our Michael Jackson: The Experience skills can be broadcast for miles.
Bacarobo 'stupid robot' contest is back, and it's hilarious (video)
Our love of tech, gadgets, and anything, really, with blinking lights means that while we certainly value usability and quality in our consumer electronics, there will always be a place in our hearts for the utterly useless. And we're definitely not alone here, as the popularity of the annual Bacarobo (stupid robot) contest will tell you. This year's event was held in Budapest, Hungary, and featured a number of the silliest robots you've never seen before -- all designed to get a laugh. The contest is judged in true hackneyed Gong Show-esque fashion with an applause meter, and the winner received a €2,000 ($2,700 USD) prize. And that's nothing to laugh at! But enough chatter: peep the video after the break to see for yourself.
