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Stockholm bans most combustion engine cars from its city center
The Swedish capital city of Stockholm is banning combustion engine vehicles in its city center starting in 2025. This joins similar moves in London, Paris and throughout Europe.
Hyperloop One 'proves' it's cheaper than high-speed rail
Since its conception, Hyperloop pioneers have been unable to answer the one question that matters: how much cheaper will it be compared to high-speed rail? Hyperloop One now feels confident enough to publish a feasibility study that makes the case that zooming across the globe in vacuum tubes is affordable. This particular examination concerns a project to connect Stockholm and Helsinki as one super-sized metro area. Suffice to say, the headline stat is this: the per-mile cost of building this loop is pegged at around $40 million per kilometer. By comparison, the World Bank estimates that California's slower, less efficient High Speed rail project will cost $56 million per km.
Stephen Hawking believes he knows how information escapes black holes
Stephen Hawking announced during a lecture at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden on Tuesday that he has potentially solved the Information Paradox. The paradox a conflict between the quantum mechanics and general relativity models that has vexed physicists for more than four decades. The Information Paradox arises from black holes -- specifically what happens to information about the physical state of objects that fall into one. The quantum mechanical model posits that the information remains intact while general relativity argues that it is indeed obliterated under the black holes immense gravitation. But Hawking has developed a third opinion: the information never actually makes it into the black hole. "I propose that the information is stored not in the interior of the black hole as one might expect, but on its boundary, the event horizon," he said.
Apple to open first Swedish retail store
A visit to a mall in Sweden by Swedish site IDG.se has confirmed (by the familiar black covering and the Apple logo) that there is indeed a new store opening up near Stockholm. The Täby Spectrum shopping center will host that country's first Apple Store, starting on September 15. Apple's been laying the groundwork in Sweden for a while now, filing a business registration certificate last November, and hiring for the store earlier this year. But the company is now getting closer than ever to actually selling items in the store. And there are more stores on the way: Apple is also planning to open stores in the Harbour Street district of Stockholm, as well as in a brand new mall location near the southwestern city of Malmö. We've heard a lot in the past about how quickly Apple trying to expand in China, but that's not the only foreign land Apple is aiming to open up for business. [via MacRumors]
Rovio kicks off Gamescom with a new studio in Stockholm and an ex-Battlefield GM
Rovio's bird-based empire continues to expand, with this morning's Twitter feed outing ex-Battlefield Play4Free head Oskar Burman as the new general manager of Rovio's Stockholm-based studio. "Super excited to let you know I'm the new GM of Rovio Stockholm, opening up shop today," Burman announced. He left EA's "Easy Company" studio just last month, having served as the GM at Easy ahead of that.Burman's certainly excited about the move, saying, "IMHO Rovio is one of the most exciting devs in the world, perfectly positioned for the future, [with] focus on digital, mobile, and thinking big." He added, "Have to admit I was also growing tired of creating violent games. From now on I'll only inflict violence on cartoon pigs."Rovio says it's "delighted to welcome Oskar to the flock," and that he'll be working on "bringing Sweden's best talent together to work for the world's fastest growing and most innovative entertainment company." The Stockholm studio is "focused on supporting Rovio in both current and upcoming game projects," but no other info is given about what specifically the studio is working on.
Rovio expanding into Sweden; next, the world
Angry Birds originator and eventual ruler of all mankind Rovio is widening its grasp upon the world by opening a new studio in Stockholm, Sweden. Should all go according to plan, the presently unnamed new studio will be staffed by 20 to 30 folks within a year.This announcement follows Rovio's recent acquisition of Futuremark Games Studio (Unstoppable Gorg, Shattered Horizon), as well as its highly successful launch of Angry Birds Space. "2012 is going to be a big year in gaming for us, and we're constantly on the lookout for great new talent," said Rovio's executive VP of games Petri Järvilehto in a statement to CVG. "We're excited to expand to Stockholm and work in one of Europe's gaming and innovation hotspots."From what we're able to tell from the pictures on Wikipedia, Stockholm looks like a beautiful place, but we can understand that not everyone interested in working for Rovio will immediately fall for the city's Scandinavian charm. Don't worry though, future Rovio Stockholm employees. You'll learn to love it.
Visualized: Sweden's Dreamhack in pictures
What does a legion of Swedish LAN party-goers and a 120Gbps internet connection look like? Something like this. Dreamhack, officially (according to the Guinness Book of Records) the world's largest LAN party, offered up all sorts of gaming thrills along the lines of StarCraft II and Counter-Strike to the 12,000 attendees. It looks like the air was thick with excitement, perspiration -- and hopefully a little air freshener.
Cisco, Telia to activate 'world's fastest internet connection' at 120Gbps, sounds pretty Swede
If the Swedes can dry a load of laundry on a 40Gbps internet connection, just imagine what they could do with 120Gbps. Melt polar caps? Solve the debt crisis? Dry three loads of laundry? The possibilities may be limitless, but we'll all find out soon enough, because Cisco and Telia are aiming to break the 120Gbps barrier by the end of this weekend. It's all part of this week's DreamHack, a Swedish digital festival that the Guinness Book recognizes as the "world's largest LAN party." This year, the two companies will attempt to set up a 300 kilometer-long connection from Jönköping to Stockholm, designed to serve (in theory, anyway) up to 750,000 people at blazing speeds -- of course, only 20,000 or so will be at DreamHack. The project has been in the works since last summer, with Telia constructing the fiber network, and Cisco handling hardware duties with a pair of power-packed CRS-3 routers (scalable to a total capacity of up to 322Tbps!). The companies say that the connection, if successful, would set a record for network "capacity utilization," allowing all 750K users to stream music simultaneously and to download an entire movie in just .047 seconds. It'll take us a lot longer to pick up our jaws from the ground.
Apple reportedly prepping first Apple Store in Sweden
Apple is planning on opening its first retail store in Sweden, according to Market.se [Google translation]. While Market.se doesn't cite its source, a recent Apple job listing for a Payroll Supervisor in Stockholm lends additional credence to an upcoming Swedish Apple store. Besides the Market.se report and the job listing, there's not a lot known about the Swedish Apple store. It's likely that it will be located in the capitol of Stockholm. Apple does always like having its first store stand out, so it's probable that it will be in a renovated historic or aesthetically pleasing modern building in a high-traffic area. Apple just opened its 325th retail store in Lyons, France and plans to open a total of 40-50 stores in fiscal year 2011, which ends in September.
iPhones control interactive billboard in Stockholm to win McTreats
Ah, Sweden. The land of Akvavit, crayfish parties and billboards that respond to your iPhone. You heard that right. McDonald's, not exactly a hotbed of Swedish cuisine but a popular place to eat nonetheless, has installed an interactive billboard in Stockholm. Enter a special URL, and you can play pong on the billboard with your iPhone. If you can survive for 30 seconds in the game, you get a digital coupon for some treats at Mickey D's. What's brilliant is that you don't need to download an app to play the game - just enter picknplay.se into a browser, and a web app checks your location to verify that you're near the billboard. You knew there was a good reason to keep Location Services turned on all the time... Another game on the same billboard has you snap a photo of a McTreat with a phone (not necessarily an iPhone) to get a free goodie at a local McDonald's. It's an ingenious use of digital technology to engage people in interactive advertising. How about you, TUAW readers? Would you get pulled in by an interactive ad that takes advantage of a feature of your iOS device? Leave your answer in the comments below.
McDonald's interactive Pong billboard brings big-screen elation, tomorrow's lunch
You could enjoy that Big Mac in the peace and artery-clogging quiet of your local McDonald's, or you could just catch the next flight to Stockholm, where Ronald apparently serves his meals with a side of interactive, outdoor gaming. It's all part of something called Pick n' Play -- a new (and pretty ingenious) ad campaign that invites pedestrians to play a game of Pong on a giant Mickey D's billboard, using only their smartphones. All you have to do is stand in front of the display, log on to Pick n' Play's site from your handheld, and wait for your phone to verify your location. From there, you'll have to manipulate an onscreen paddle using your device's touchscreen, while doing battle with a game that gets increasingly more difficult. Last thirty seconds, though, and you'll get a free, lipid-drenched treat of your choice, courtesy of the Golden Arches. Best of all, you won't even have to download an app to get your Pong on -- putting you one step closer to that coronary you've always wanted. Trot past the break to see it for yourself.
ASSA ABLOY trials remote hotel check-ins, unlocking your room with NFC cellphones (video)
Just think of it, no more hanging around your hotel's front desk like some unrefined homo erectus. The Clarion Hotel in Stockholm is starting up a new pilot program to allow visitors to check in and collect their room key without the repugnant need for speaking to an actual human being -- it can all be done with an NFC-equipped mobile phone. Provided your smartphone can do the near-field communications dance, all your information can be remotely downloaded, stored, and wiped (if need be), and you can even check out from a room using the accompanying application. Samsung handsets are being provided to selected customers during the period of this trial, though once its four-month incubation period is over, you'll have to bring your own bit of advanced telephony to avoid the queues. We're sure you'll think of something. Video and full press release after the break.
Lonely Planet giving away free iPhone guides in honor of Eyjafjallajökull messing with Europe
Did Eyjafjallajökull mess your week up? The answer is probably "no" if you're asking who Eyjafjallajökull is. For those of us who did have our week interrupted by that big exploding volcano in Iceland, Lonely Planet is offering thirteen of its City Guides for free in the App Store (and okay, they're free to all, no proof of volcano-interruption required). The aptly-named "Volcano Relief Sale" is being held in hopes of helping travelers stuck in unfamiliar places find "access to practical information as well as suggestions on what to do whilst stranded," according to Tom Hall, Lonely Planet Travel Editor. "That's why we're giving away iPhone city guides to major affected destinations." Those destinations include: Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Budapest, Copenhagen, Istanbul, London, Moscow, Munich, Paris, Rome, Stockholm, and Vienna. I've been to all but two of those destinations, and if you're stuck in any of them, you really should be thanking Eyjafjallajökull (and now, Lonely Planet). The thirteen City Guides are normally priced between $10 and $15, so this is quite a bargain. But act fast, the City Guides will only be available for free until April 22 -- hopefully a date which will also see many more planes back in the air. [via Macworld] [Image by NASA Goddard Photo and Video]
Might&Delight reassembles GRIN's Bionic Commando Rearmed team
GRIN may be no more, but some of the talent behind the studio is coming back. The team responsible for Bionic Commando Rearmed, arguably GRIN's greatest title, have announced plans to return to game development with a new studio: Might&Delight. Focused on "advancing back to the 80s," the new studio opens today in Stockholm, Sweden. According to a press release, "our ambition is to continue doing what we started with Rearmed. Small, fresh games with strong old school flavor." Starting another team is no small task, so we wish Might&Delight the best of luck on its future endeavors. We can't wait to see what retro revivals it'll be able to come up with.
TeliaSonera already upgrading LTE network, 'practical speeds' of up to 80Mbps promised
There's no rest for the wicked -- and perhaps nothing in the world of wireless describes "wicked" better than Nordic carrier TeliaSonera, which holds the distinction of having deployed the world's first commercial LTE network last year. Thing is, the network's been taking a little heat for being effectively no faster than some of the recent HSPA+ deployments around the globe, but no worries -- they're already working on it. It seems that central Stockholm is the first area to benefit from upgrades that will take the LTE airwaves to a theoretical max of 100Mbps with "practical" downlink throughput alleged to be down around 80Mbps, still a fine upgrade from the real-world peaks of 40Mbps that folks have been seeing so far. If you're outside Stockholm, TeliaSonera expect to upgrade the rest of the LTE network in Spring. Where's the carrier suddenly finding all this extra bandwidth? It's said to be more of a backhaul upgrade than anything else, which sounds kind of familiar.
Mortal Online's open beta starts February 1st
The upcoming sandbox MMO from Star Vault, Mortal Online, is finally entering its awaited open beta on February 1st. While the game has been in testing for quite some time, getting beta access meant pre-ordering a copy of the game, which turned several people off from the idea. But not only is the game going to become easier to take part in testing starting on Monday, there are two carrots thrown in to help entice players. First off, any existing beta characters will not be wiped upon the commencement of open beta. That means anyone already playing, whether in the closed beta or as part of the game's recent stress test, will get to keep their character that they've worked on. Second, while in open beta the game's price will be dropped by five euros (about $7), which means that if you like the game, it's even easier to decide to make it a full-time home. Downsides? Only one - as community manager Maerlyn points out, the testing will be based on a single server cluster in Stockholm, so their may be server caps or slight connection issues depending on distance. But that's hardly enough to take away from the good news. If you've been waiting for Mortal Online, your day is almost here. [ Thanks to Bartillo and David for the tip! ]
Ericsson trials HSPA-LTE interoperability, we count 7 Gs in total
Since it'll be eons until we enjoy the kind of 4G coverage that we've grown used to on 2G (and to a lesser extent, 3G), manufacturers and carriers are hard at work making sure that we've got a reliable way to interoperate for the foreseeable future -- TeliaSonera, for instance, wants to swap out its customers' modems for LTE / HSPA dual-mode versions once they're available next year. To that end, Ericsson and ST-Ericsson are trumpeting that they've become the first to establish "LTE and HSPA mobility" in accordance with 3GPP's Release 8 specification, which dictates this sort of stuff in a way everyone can agree on (that's a good thing). Verizon's naturally more interested in the CDMA handoffs that have already gone down, but for AT&T and most of the rest of the world, this is exciting news indeed.
Swedish rapper Pato Pooh asks you to follow him into the old school
Adding himself to the short list of things we associate with Sweden other than Volvo, Ikea, and delicious meatballs, Stockholm's Pato Pooh recently released a music video for his song "Follow Me." It features a regular who's who of 8- and 16-bit era gaming in the process, referencing everything from Mega Man's opening to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. He even kills off that snickering jerk dog from Duck Hunt we all love to hate. Who's laughing now, dog? Who's laughing now?![Thanks, SuerDOS!]
Ericsson and TeliaSonera reveals world's first commercial LTE site in Stockholm
Mmm, the sweet smell of mobile data burning up the pipes in the morning. Gets us every time. Evidently, the same aroma does something to the brains of Ericsson and TeliaSonera, who have taken their January agreement to the next level by introducing the planet's first commercial Long-Term Evolution (LTE) site in Stockholm, Sweden. Mind you, we've seen lots of trial runs over the past year and change, but this one's no test. Rather, this site will become part of a commercial network scheduled to go live in 2010, bringing wicked fast mobile transfers to Stockholmers everywhere. Now, let's hope these American carriers get jealous, and fast.
The Pirate Bay founders sentenced to prison, website soldiers on
In what's being described as a landmark verdict, four men responsible for assisting throngs of dubious internet users to download all sorts of copyrighted material are being ushered off to prison cells for twelve whole months. The Stockholm district court in Sweden found the defendants guilty not of hosting materially illegally, but of "providing a website with sophisticated search functions, simple download and storage capabilities, and a tracker linked to the website [that helped users commit copyright violations]." As expected, the foursome seems unaffected by the ruling, with Peter Sunde (shown) tweeting that "it used to be only movies, now even verdicts are out before the official release." After jail, the crew will be forced by pay 30 million kronor ($3.56 million) to a number of entertainment companies, which is far less than those firms were hoping for. Curiously, we're told that the verdict didn't include an order to shut down The Pirate Bay website, and you can pretty much bank on an appeal being filed in record time.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
