Archive for: EU
Well, it seems that the Windows Web Browser Choice Screen mandated by the European Union to splash on all versions of Windows is working great! According to the latest data from Opera, one of the options given on the main choice screen, their downloads across European Countries has skyrocketed! Opera says it’s “dramatic uptake on downloads.”
They are telling us that their download rates have doubled since this browser download and activation pop-up was initiated. In some countries their downloads have tripled. Giving the EU Windows users a choice has only been going on for a couple weeks now, but will continue well into May for current Windows users, and will be standard for at least 5 years on all new users.
I think this was a great idea, from working on peoples computers and going to their homes and talking to them about what they use their cpus for, I know that they are unaware of different options out there, not only for browsers. There is so much available that the standard user might not know about, and this was a great way to spread the knowledge better web browsing. I think this should be a standard on all computers, in Europe as well as the States!
Opera Press Release
EU residents may want to write/call/email/text their local governments and let them know any bill or law that drops data retention limits from 12 months to 6 is a bad idea. Especially so because if it does pass, Google Street View will be no more. They’re stating that if data retention limits are lowered for the original unblurred images from twelve to six months, the accuracy, integrity, and overall usefulness will be dimished. After those 6-months, if Google wants fresh unblurred images, they’ll have to drive all over kingdom come again, resnapping life as it happens. The short answer would be to hire more Street View drivers to scan more often. But is that really the answer?
I just can’t see the reasoning behind the “privacy” motives if the images will still be online for many months at a time. What’s the difference in a screen capture from Street View whether it’s six or twelve months? Am I missing something here?
Bloomberg
- February 26, 2010 2:09 pm
In the current economy, acquiring or even maintaining a job is pretty hard stuff. If you are lucky enough to keep a job, work is often sporadic and pay is stagnant or reduced. “Job security” is highly sought after. If job security is really what you’re after, Google is “the” place to be — specifically the Street View team.
A new EU ruling documented in Article 29 states that the current 12-month time span is a “too disproportionate” amount of time for images to be stored. Ok, fair enough. The new limit proposed is a mere 6-months. So, every 6-months the street team has to go around re-snapping all of these pictures — bingo, job security.
My question is, unless there is a major change such as a new building or road added, why take a picture if nothing has changed? So some guy with a completely blurred face has been on Street View for 12 months, what’s the big deal? Am I missing something?
(Google, are you hiring Street View drivers…?)
Pocket-Lint
[Image Source]
Here in the states, AT&T is hard at work upping network capacity by offloading their 3G network onto the 850MHz frequency band. The lower frequency means increased range and better penetration through obstructions. EU residents currently get 3G served up via the 2100MHz band — quite a bit higher. Because of that, reception can often be hampered by what seems even the smallest obstructions. Redemption is in store however as the EU is moving on up…or more literally…down to actual useful frequencies in the 900MHz and 1800MHz range. While not as resilient as AT&T U.S.’s 850MHz network, I’m sure those of you who live with 2100MHz 3G day in and day out will take pretty much anything you can get. A fully completed phone call would be a start. Starting now, EU members have 6 months to make the changes necessary, shifting 3G over to the lower frequencies. Any EU readers care to give us a small glimpse into your current life full of cellular strife and the redemption that is in store?
Electronista
Image Source
- September 28, 2009 12:39 pm
If you’re the type that likes to rock out by blaring your music into your little ear canals, you soon could have a nanny watching over your shoulder, or in this case staring back up at you as mp3 players in EU member countries could soon have a default setting of 80 decibels. This type of suggestion and law isn’t knew and has been around in the EU especially for several years. Although, this is the most aggressive push yet buy government to get any actual implementation moving forward. Even though it doesn’t seem that loud, prolonged exposure to sounds over that number can lead to hearing problems — problems that the EU hopes to avoid. It’s worth noting that users of EU nations will be displayed a pop up when going above the 80 decibel limit. So far it isn’t known whether this pop-up will have to be accepted/ignored by the user or if it will disappear after a few seconds. While I understand that users should be given a nice helpful reminder at what point sound output can be dangerous, I also hope that the EU doesn’t mandate a method that is too invasive or annoying. EU readers: are you looking forward to a “helpful reminder” every time you fire up your mp3 player?
Geek > Times Online
Image Source
I applaud our friends overseas in Europe for undertaking the massive amount of babysitting and back rubbing that it takes to get manufacturers of all walks of life to sit down and come to an agreement on a standardized phone charging port. Heck, even getting a few manufacturers to come together at all is no small feat. The players involve Nokia, Sony Ericsson, LG, NEC, Qualcomm, Motorola, RIM, Samsung, Texas Instruments, and Apple. While no specific date is other than “soon”, at least European consumers can find comfort in knowing that they will soon be able to easily swap chargers between friends and their phones like nobodies business.
The world is truly truly turning into a world run by the greedy few. The sickness: The EU pressured by copyright holders and music labels to increase the current 50 year limit on copyrights has bent over and extended it by another 20 years for a grand total of 70 years. The whole reasoning behind it is complete BS. Those under the rule of the EU should consider themselves lucky however as the labels wanted to nearly double the term to 95 years. However *slightly* cooler heads prevailed, in this case the UK, and refused the lofty number. Eventually, a “compromise” was met and they all settled on 70 years. Andrew Gowers of the UK looked at the issue in 2006 and found that there was absolutely no reason to extend copyrights longer than the 50 years they used to hold. Another separate group and study lead by Prof. P. Bernt Hugenholtz of the University of Amsterdam also came to the same conclusion: that an extension on copyrights would be a bad idea, hurting “consumers, producers, and society as a whole”. And boy is he right. Of course, not to be deterred from making their pockets deeper, the copyright holders and music labels turned away from petitioning government and instead went to bed with the EU who again…bent over. Hopefully this crap doesn’t come stateside. Anyone with a clear mind…or any mind at all for that matter, can easily come to the conclusion that 50 years is more than enough time for copyrights to stick. After that, the material you made way back when, if even talked about/used today, is anything but popular. Wherever you are in the world, start writing your leaders voicing your opinions on the issue. While one voice isn’t enough, the collective voice of many has some pretty amazing powers.
Source: Ars Technica
There isn’t a better example of price gouging and customer screwing than ceullar companies’ pricing on overage charges. While the title and linked article deal with roaming charges, because of the differences in geographic locations, overage charges are more or less a this-for-that type of issue here in America. For example, most carriers in the United States are now charging $0.45 per minute over your montly allotment. Text messages aren’t any better ringing in at $0.15-$0.20 for overages. Neither voice or data cost anywhere near that much to the carrier, so why do they pass it on to us?
