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Nokia flips internet sharing switch on for Lumia 710 and 800c in Tango update
Looks like Espoo's finally ready to do the Tango with Lumia owners. According to a report on Nokiapoweruser, updates for localized variants of the 710 and the China-only 800c have been spotted on NaviFirm, indicating a planned firmware rollout for those WP 7.5 devices is underway. Users in Belgium, the Netherlands and Vietnam who download the software should see that previously dormant internet sharing ability enabled, in addition to the installation of a trio of Nokia apps -- Sportstracker, News and Creative Studio -- as standard on handsets. No word on when the company intends to release the package to other markets, but with this latest news, it can't be far off now. [Thanks, Nish]
This talking Domino's Pizza scooter will make your day infinitely more awesome (video)
Dearest RIM, Microsoft, Intel and Sony: Stop spending millions on mildly successful advertising campaigns. Just modify a delivery scooter to shout your brand name between gear shifts. Respectfully, A now-loyal Domino's Pizza customer.
Microsoft moves logistics center out of Germany, blames Motorola patent battle
It may be a mere thorn in the foot of a giant like Microsoft, but the ongoing H.264 licensing dispute with Motorola is clearly starting to sting. German news outlet CIO reports that Redmond has shifted part of its European logistics operation from Germany to the Netherlands, affecting around 50 jobs at a contractor called Arvato. Although it might seem like a minor shuffle, CIO reports that Microsoft explicitly blames Motorola's patent litigation for the decision, saying it was otherwise happy with Arvato's services in warehousing Windows and Xbox 360 titles. If this represents the start of a new trend, those tasty Euros being earned by Mannheim lawyers could potentially be cancelled out by losses elsewhere in the German economy. [Ausgang photo via Shutterstock]
The Hague to Samsung: no injunction for 3G patent infringement if Apple's willing to FRAND license
Since it's been more than 24 hours since the last bit of news in the ongoing legal battle between Samsung and Apple, we figured you could do with another litigation revelation. Late last year, the Hague shot down Sammy's request to prevent iPads and iPhones from being sold in the Netherlands. Today, the Dutch court went a step further, telling the Korean company that it can't pursue any other injunctions based upon its FRAND 3G patents as long as Cupertino's willing to talk about licensing them. Not only that, it went on to hold that those patents don't apply in Sammy's case against the iPhone 4S due to the theory of patent exhaustion. The allegedly infringing bits in the handset are made by Qualcomm, who licensed the technology directly from Samsung -- granting Apple protection under the license as a third party beneficiary -- and Apple prevailed using arguments not unlike those it made in a suit it recently filed against Motorola. Score one more legal victory for Tim Cook and company, but as you already know, the war is far from over.
Apple updates Apple Store app, adds account and carrier options
Apple has updated its official Apple Store app, now available for free on the App Store. The new update allows for options to manage your account and billing right on the phone. You can also browse through all of the various carriers available for Apple's iPhone. For those of you in the Netherlands, the app is available for you now, too. Apple has pushed up the requirements for the app, so you'll need iOS 4.3.3 or higher to run it. We're all at least up to 5.0 by now, right? You can find the update in Apple's official App Store app. So... you can update Apple's Apple Store app by using Apple's App Store app. Sheesh.
Wall coverings appear at forthcoming Amsterdam Apple Store
Apple is prepping a new retail store in Amsterdam, and MacRumors has collected pictures of the orange and white window coverings that have shown up at the location. They're pretty unique and striking, with the bright orange modern look really standing out in the colder, more traditional buildings of the city. The orange in the coverings represents the Netherlands' national color, and the three Apple logos above are standing in for the three crosses in Amsterdam's coat of arms, the official symbol of the city. Messages on the covering say in Dutch that the store will be "opening soon." Originally, the store was rumored for an opening later on this week, but the latest looks inside the store say that ceremony has probably been delayed. Not too big an issue -- with those coverings on, this is probably the best looking "store under construction" around.
AR goggles take crime scene technology to CSI: Miami level
Dutch researchers are looking to catapult crime scene investigation into the 21st century through the use of augmented reality (AR). The prototype system, designed by the Delft University of Technology, employs a pair of AR goggles, two head-mounted cameras and a portable laptop rig to allow investigators to build virtual crime scenes by tagging evidence and placing objects they are viewing. After mapping an area, additional law enforcement personnel can review the investigator's work and request additional information -- asking the CSI to define or place additional objects. Researchers hope that the 3D renders will be used as court-admissible evidence in the near future; the technology is set to be tried on a real Dutch crime scene later this year. We can see it now: Lieutenant Horatio Caine whips off his shades and tosses on a pair of (equally stylish) crime-fighting goggles... YEAAAAAAAAH!
Dutch court rejects Apple appeal, says Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 is legal
A court in the Hague has just cleared the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 for sale in the Netherlands, rejecting Apple's requests for a nationwide ban. As NU.nl reports, a different Dutch court had already issued a similar ruling in October, which Cupertino promptly appealed, claiming that Sammy's slate was too similar to its own iPad 2. Today, though, the Court of the Hague shot down Apple's arguments, determining that there are enough differences between the two products to legally justify their coexistence. Granted, this is only one of many patent battles that the two companies are currently waging, but for today, at least, it looks like Samsung has come out on top. [Thanks, Rolfski]
First Apple Store in the Netherlands to open in February
A strong windstorm gave some bloggers in the Netherlands a chance to view the progress of construction at the new Apple Store on the Leidseplein in Amsterdam. The wind blew away part of the barriers around the new store, and Apple fans in the city quickly took advantage by shooting some great photos. According to iPhoneclub.nl, the store is expected to open next month. The bloggers are thinking that Saturday, February 18 may be the opening date. That speculation is based on finding out that a company that will take care of the building cleaning is expected to start work at the site in mid-February, and that training of employees has been scheduled. Like the Apple Store at the Louvre in Paris, the Leidseplein Apple Store has a pyramidal glass roof. A circular glass staircase (see photo at top) will connect the two floors of the store, which will be the first Apple Store in the Netherlands. And now, a picture of Dutch Apple Pie to go along with the Dutch Apple Store -- after all, who doesn't love pie?
iTunes Match launches in 19 more countries, shows Latin America some love from the cloud
Once Apple let the iTunes Match genie out of the bottle it has actually been pretty quick to spread the love to our international friends. Australia, Canada, the UK and a host of other European nations came online last month, now a sizable chunk of Latin America (along with a few EU stragglers) are joining the party. In total, 19 new countries were added to the list this week, headlined by Central and South American nations like Argentina, Guatemala, Venezuela and Nicaragua. With a few Eastern Block countries, including Lithuania and Latvia, also being added to the list, Apple has increased the total number states where iTunes Match is available to 37. Now Apple just has to start getting a few of the Asian and African areas where the iPhone is available on board and it can officially call Match a global service. To see if your country is invited hit up the more coverage link.
Tetris played on microscopic level with lasers, thanks to Amsterdam's rigorous curriculum (video)
Ostensibly speaking, it appears that university goers in the Netherlands have a bit too much time on their hands. You see, in between visits to coffee shops, students at VU University Amsterdam have developed a way to play Tetris with lasers, or in this case, a light-trapping device known as optical tweezers. With blocks constructed of microscopic glass spheres, university physicist Joost van Mameren explains, "The focus of this beam acts as an attraction point for small particles: they get sucked into the focus and cannot escape." The end result is transformed into a rousing experience of the Soviet Union's greatest creation ever, now played out on the microscopic level -- be sure to check the action after the break. For gamers who get in a bit of a jam, the laser can be turned off, which will prompt each of the beads to scatter into chaos. A fitting conclusion, indeed.
Dutch officials contemplate barring KPN, T-Mobile and Vodafone from spectrum auction
A spectrum auction looms on the horizon in the Netherlands, but three of the country's largest players may be excluded from participation. As you know, earlier this week, Dutch authorities raided the offices of KPN Mobile, T-Mobile Netherlands and Vodafone Netherlands in a price-fixing investigation. The Netherlands Competition Authority (NMa), which carried out the raid, stressed that its visit does not mean the operators are guilty of collusion or hint at the outcome of its investigation. Now, Dutch lawmakers and the country's Minister of Economic Affairs must come to a decision about the auction that's set to take place in the spring of 2012 -- which is likely to be well in advance of any final report from the NMa. One option tossed around has been to postpone the auction, though, as lawmakers point out, this could hinder the development in the mobile space and further limit competition. Alternately, had any of the named companies actually profited from the alleged collusion, there's a risk that these monies could be used to purchase additional spectrum and further extend their dominance. Those discussing the matter hope to move quickly, though it certainly seems difficult to make any decision of this magnitude lightly.
TomTom looks to shed ten-percent of workforce in restructuring effort
We have some sad news to report out of Holland today. TomTom has announced that it will release nearly ten-percent of its employees as the company works to reorganize and move away from the personal navigation device market. The struggling firm previously stated that it would trim €50 million from its annual operations budget, and many of TomTom's employees will now face the ramifications of this effort. Moving forward, the company will focus primarily on in-dash navigation equipment that's pre-installed by automotive manufacturers, along with fleet management for delivery companies. Hopefully we'll see some better times ahead for the Dutch firm. Frankly, we don't know what we'd do without the likes of Mr. T, Han Solo and Burt and Ernie leading the way.
T-Mobile, Vodafone and KPN raided in Dutch price-fixing probe
Details are pretty slim at the moment, but it appears that Vodafone, KPN and T-Mobile are among the companies that have been raided by Dutch regulators in a price-fixing investigation. The country's competition authorities, NMa, swept through the carriers' offices as part of a probe into alleged "cartel agreements" exposed by whistleblowers. All three of the companies have agreed to cooperate with the investigation and have denied wrong doing but, they're starting with a dark cloud of suspicion hanging over their heads already. It was only ten years ago that the same three mobile operators were fined for illegally coordinating on pricing and fees. Obviously, it's wrong to jump to conclusions, but what are the chances these huge corporations just haven't learned from their past mistakes?
New high-precision eye surgery robot helps doctors stay sharp
A researcher at the Netherland's Eindhoven University of Technology has invented a new type of eye surgery robot designed to steady the ophthalmologist's hands and minimize error -- always a good thing when it comes to having needles and knives near your peepers. Kind of like an Igor to a mad scientist, the robot is considered a "slave" to its "master" doctor, who controls the automaton's arms using two joysticks. The doctor is still in charge of the cuts, but the technology makes sure the MD jabs that needle in at the exact same entry point each time without shaking to minimize ocular marring. Another notable feature is the robot's ability to switch between tools quickly, ensuring that if this whole doctor thing doesn't work out, it'll at least have a job at Hibachi waiting. Jump past the break to check out the full PR.
Dutch court turns down Samung's request to block Apple products
There's still no further word on Samsung's recent attempt to block sales of the iPhone 4S in France and Italy, but the company's now been dealt a blow in its similar efforts in the Netherlands. According to Reuters, a Dutch court has turned down Samsung's request for a ban on certain Apple products, and rejected claims that they infringe on Samsung's patents (it's also rejected Apple's counterclaims in the case). The particular patents in question here are not related to software or the design of the devices, as in other cases, but rather their 3G capabilities, which Samsung had claimed Apple was infringing on with the various iterations of the iPhone and iPad. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
ViewSonic ViewPad 10e coming soon to UK and Netherlands?
Is ViewSonic about to surprise the UK and Netherlands with a new ViewPad? We haven't heard a single peep about the new tablet until the advert you can see above mysteriously leaked, at which point Viewsonic confirmed to Tablet Test that the device not only exists, but will be coming out "soon." The ViewPad 10e gets a 9.7-inch, 1024 x 768 IPS display (that's the same size and resolution as the TouchPad and iPad 2's display), a 1.3 megapixel camera and it's only 9mm (0.35 inches) thick. We don't know much about what's on the inside, except to say it'll be running Gingerbread solo, rather than the "dual OS" setup of the ViewPad 10pro. There's nary a release date to be found, but we do know that when it arrives, it'll set Europeans back to the tune of €250 (about $340). [Thanks, Andreas]
Samsung asks Dutch courts to block iPad, iPhone sales
This whole thing is starting to play out like a giant game of patent Risk. As it did in Australia, Samsung is hitting back against Apple in the Netherlands, asking for a preliminary injunction aimed at Apple's mobile line, including the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPad and iPad 2, claiming that the products infringe on 3G patents held by the Korean electronics giant. The proposed ban would prohibit importing the products into the country and would recall them from Dutch retail stores.
360iDev: Mike Lee talks about mariachi, project engineering and Appsterdam
Mike Lee, former Apple and Delicious Monster employee, is among the most dynamic speakers on the Mac and Apple circuit -- whether he's telling dirty jokes or waxing poetic about beauty and insanity, he's always entertaining and insightful about product development and Apple culture in general. Lee was in rare form at this week's 360iDev conference in Denver -- he took the stage in a full Mariachi costume, and that was one of the least weird things that happened during his talk. His main points on product engineering were all very insightful. Lee went through what he called the history of machines, starting with simple tools like sticks employed by our pre-historic ancestors. He then progressed from the assembly line era to the age of personal computers, and then onto nanotechnology and the future. Lee said that software and hardware have been moving ever closer together, and we're currently at the "dawn of the age of magic in computing," where hardware and software are virtually the same thing. Lee discussed Apple's "intersection of technology and liberal arts," which he calls redundant. The word "technology" is derived from the Greek words for both art and science. That led into a discussion about design, during which Lee said that users aren't necessarily dumb -- but developers should assume, for the sake of their software, that they are. "People are not ignorant or apathetic," said Lee, "but they don't know and they don't care about you or your app." Great products, said Lee, are 80% boring, but 20% crazy and revolutionary, and that 20% makes all the difference. He offered up the iPod as an example. It was dull and simple when first introduced. But over time, Apple solved one problem after another: "Where does the music come from? What about the Windows guys? No, really," joked Lee to laughter from the audience, "what about the Windows guys?" Lee concluded that quality is more important than originality. People, he said, are in love with their ideas, but the incredible implementation of a boring idea makes it much more appealing to its intended audience. Lee also briefly discussed cross-platform implementation. He said devs often ask him which platform they should develop for or if they should implement across mobile platforms. Focus on doing one well first, Lee tells them: "If you suck on iOS, you're really going to suck on Android." Then things went really off the rails: After a short delay spent dealing with a microphone feedback issue, Lee launched into an extended "mariachi" metaphor, complete with an actual mariachi band marching into the conference. He said that developers and anyone selling or marketing software must take the "boring" story of what their software does, and then add "the mariachi story." Delicious Library 2, for example, is just a database -- but it lets you scan bar codes with your iSight camera. Lee spoke about product engineering -- but he added a mariachi band, and promised everyone would remember it. And even the iPad 2 was a "boring" iteration of the last iPad, just thinner and faster, until Apple announced the Smart Cover and its magical magnets. At that point, Lee said, everyone in the room was thinking that "maybe my Mom would like that old iPad." And finally, Lee went into an extended pitch for Appsterdam, a venture he's trying to put together in Amsterdam for mobile and app developers. Lee suggested that not only is the Netherlands city a great place for developers and programmers to go and work, but Amsterdam itself is a great place for Americans to live, promising the audience at 360iDev that the country offered universal health care, net neutrality and even marriage equality to anyone willing to move out there with him. He even extolled the local library, saying, "it's like the library was built by Apple out of Ikea," suggesting that developers there come out and see it (and imagine their children growing up there). It was hard to tell how the developers in the audience felt about the Appsterdam pitch -- it seemed a bit out of place in the talk, and even Lee admitted that he was a little overenthusiastic about suggesting developers with families and other responsibilities picking up and moving to the Netherlands to code with him. But the talk was definitely entertaining and memorable. As usual, Lee demonstrated the frank, crystal clear insight he's known for.
Apple misrepresents Galaxy S phone in Dutch filing
Apple filed a lawsuit against Samsung in the Netherlands claiming the Galaxy S too closely resembles the iPhone. Unfortunately, the evidence submitted in the case appears to misrepresent the Galaxy S handset. In an image provided by Apple in the filing, the Samsung Galaxy S smartphone is the same size and shape as the iPhone 3G. The shipping version of the Galaxy S, though, is taller and slightly thinner than the iPhone. This is the second faux pas that Apple has made in a legal filing. Earlier this week, it was discovered that the images of the Galaxy Tab Apple provided to a German court did not accurately represent the device. In light of this revelation, the German court temporarily relaxed the ban on the sale of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in the EU. As of the writing of the post, neither the Netherlands court, Apple nor Samsung has commented on this discrepancy. [Via PC World]
