04/25, 8:12am
New microphone source will be used once mic stocks dry up
HTC is planning to change its source of microphones for the HTC One once its existing inventory has run out, following Nokia's recent court action in the Netherlands. A statement from the manufacturer seeking to clarify the injunction filed by Nokia explains that the injunction isn't against HTC itself, but is against a component supplier in the Netherlands called STM.
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02/27, 10:00am
Denmark, Sweden, Netherlands seeing access
(Updated with complete list of countries) Access to movies and TV shows via iTunes in the Cloud is rolling out across several more European countries, reports say. The one confirmed country is France, where the feature has been tested with both iTunes and the Apple TV. Various people on Twitter, however, are claiming that the option is now also available in Denmark, Sweden, and the Netherlands.
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02/15, 8:44am
Mystery smartphone could be continuity error
A television advertisement in the Netherlands may have accidentally shown an unreleased Nokia smartphone. The ad for Dutch carrier KPN Mobiel shows a number of phones being used by actors, with one appearing to have a different case design compared to others in the Nokia Lumia range, though this could be a continuity error rather than a new release.
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01/16, 2:02pm
Follows precedent set by British courts
Samsung Galaxy Tab tablets don't infringe on the design of the Apple iPad, a district court in The Hague has ruled. Reuters notes that the lawsuit involved the rounded corners of the Galaxy Tab 10.1, Galaxy Tab 8.9, and Galaxy Tab 7.7, which Apple claimed were copying a signature trait of the iPad. "We continue to believe that Apple was not the first to design a tablet with a rectangular shape and rounded corners and that the origins of Apple's registered design features can be found in numerous examples," reads a Samsung statement in response to the court win.
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12/21, 10:03am
Jobs family insists designer owed less money
The Venus, a yacht commissioned by late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, has been seized in Amsterdam at the behest of lawyers for its designer, Philippe Starck, Dutch reports say. Bailiffs boarded Venus last week with a court order; the boat is now chained to its dock, and port authorities have been informed that it can't depart. At issue is a dispute with Jobs' family over how much Starck is owed for his work.
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12/18, 11:46am
Lawsuits still being pursued, Samsung says
Samsung has dropped patent injunction applications against Apple in the UK, France, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands, a senior executive tells the Wall Street Journal. All of the injunctions were related to wireless communications. Samsung notes that despite the withdrawal of the applications -- which is said to have been voluntary -- lawsuits accusing Apple of patent infringement remain ongoing.
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11/29, 3:19pm
Netherlands, Belgium first to get Staples Easy 3D service
Staples is going to offer 3D printing to model designers in some of its European stores from early 2013. Called Staples Easy 3D, the office retailer will allow customers located in the Netherlands and Belgium to print out full-color objects from their own files, and then to either pick them up from a local store or have them shipped to their address.
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09/07, 5:00pm
Claims iOS system far simpler than used by Android
Samsung is claiming Apple's multitouch is better than the same feature in Android, in a desperate bid to avoid a sales injunction on devices that infringe Apple's patent on the technology. Lawyers for the Korean company made the claim in the Court of the Hague today in the hope that a recall and ban on Samsung Android devices in the Netherlands due to patent infringement can be avoided. The company was recently found guilty of wide infringement after suffering a sweeping defeat against Apple in related patent battles in the US.
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06/20, 12:37pm
Apple now owes royalties, Hague court says
Samsung has won a legal victory against Apple through the Netherlands' Hague District Court, according to The Verge. Apple is said to have violated patent EP1188269, one relating to 3G networking. Because the patent is classified as a FRAND (fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory licensing) item, Samsung is not entitled to any sales or import bans; the court has stated, however, that Apple owes the company compensation.
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05/26, 6:15pm
Demands from anti-piracy group BREIN defied by some ISPs
Internet service providers in the Netherlands are refusing to block The Pirate Bay, following the file sharing site changing its IP addresses. TorrentFreak reports that the addition of a new proxy-friendly version of the site on a new IP address is allowing customers on ISPs blocking The Pirate Bay to access the site once again, with anti-piracy group BREIN attempting to censor the extra addresses to mixed results.
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05/18, 11:44am
Jack White, Norah Jones among free concerts
Apple has announced details of the 2012 iTunes Festival, to be held at the Roundhouse in London, England. The event will consist of 30 nights of free concerts by over 60 artists, including the likes of Jack White, Norah Jones, and Usher; only a handful of artists have been announced so far. For 2012, the festival has been moved from July to September.
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05/09, 7:28pm
Bars deep packet inspection, wiretapping data
The government of the Netherlands has become the first European country to pass a net neutrality law. The legal precedent prevents internet service providers from traffic management except in the cases of congestion and network security, and also includes restrictions on ISPs performing deep packet inspection and other similar wiretapping techniques.
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03/23, 10:40am
Italy, Spain, Sweden among prominent regions
The third-generation iPad is now on sale in an additional 25 countries. The emphasis is mostly on Europe: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden are included. The only non-European countries are in fact Macau, Mexico, and New Zealand.
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03/22, 11:25am
Dutch government issues official warning
A researcher with MajorSecurity, David Vieira-Kurz, has discovered a serious security vulnerability in the iOS 5.1 version of Safari. The problem lies with the way iOS handles the JavaScript window.open() method, used to open a new browser window. A malicious coder could use this to spoof URLs, tricking people into visiting copycat websites that might contain other threats or ask for credit card information.
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02/22, 3:10pm
German workers seek to improve retail
Apple has set an official date for the opening of the Amsterdam Apple Store. The location is scheduled to open Saturday, March 3rd at 10AM, situated in the Hirsch Building at Leidseplein 25. Regular hours will run from 9AM to 9PM Monday through Wednesday, 9AM to 10PM Thursday through Saturday, and 11AM to 7PM on Sunday. The shop will be Apple's first in the Netherlands, based in the same building as regional operating offices.
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02/14, 10:15am
Rumor has opening as soon as February 18th
Apple has confirmed plans to open its first Dutch Apple Store, located in downtown Amsterdam. As expected the shop is being constructed in the Hirsch Building on Leidseplein, which now has orange stickers covering some of its windows, bearing Apple logos and text that translates to "Apple Store, Amsterdam. Opening soon." The shop should span at least two floors; a third floor already hosts Apple's Benelux headquarters.
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12/06, 12:05pm
Goes beyond web, iPad, set-tops
Global iPlayer will make it to the iPhone and iPod touch on December 8th, the BBC has announced. The paid video-on-demand service has been available on the iPad for about five months. A list of countries getting the iPhone app on the 8th includes Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Ireland, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
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10/28, 1:20pm
Shipping times still averaging 1-2 weeks
The iPhone 4S is now formally on sale in 22 more countries, following an expansion of preorders exactly a week ago. For the time being Apple has adopted a European focus; new regions include Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. More regions should be added over the course of the next several months.
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10/21, 9:30am
Ireland, Spain, Sweden among major regions
Apple has opened up iPhone 4S preorders to 22 previously unserved countries. The phone is now available in Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. Shipping times are typically listed at one to two weeks, a delay consistent with the US online store.
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09/30, 11:55am
Parallels expanding video sales
Apple will finally bring the Apple TV to seven more European countries on Tuesday, a MacRumors report says. The company has allegedly informed resellers of the plan, which should specifically see the set-top come to Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden. In Finland, at least, pricing is expected to be €119, or about $160. In the US the hardware sells for just $99 before tax.
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09/29, 10:55am
Apple adds bulletpoints for upcoming iPhone event
Apple has dramatically expanded the presence of iTunes in Europe, reports say. In addition to Poland, the iTunes Music Store is now accessible in 11 more European countries. The remainder of the list includes Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia.
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09/28, 3:35pm
Could signify wider Apple TV sales to match
(Updated with Swedish info) Ten more European Union countries should soon be getting access to the iTunes Music Store, according to a music industry source in touch with Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita. Only Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic are mentioned by name. Apple though is said to be essentially ready to go with the expansion; a separate source suggests an October launch, which could in theory coincide with the company's October 4th press event or follow sometime thereafter.
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08/30, 10:55am
Plans encompass five countries
Deutsche Telekom will soon start selling iPad 2s in its stores, Dow Jones reports. While the carrier has offered iPad data plans for some time, the actual tablets have been sold elsewhere, whether through Apple Stores or third-party retailers. DT's in-house iPad sales will cover five different countries, including stores in Germany, Austria, Greece, Poland and the Netherlands.
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08/19, 11:45am
Galaxy S falsely made to look like iPhone 3G
Apple has once again falsely manipulated evidence in a case against Samsung, a Webwereld investigation suggests. This time an accusation has been directed at Apple's Dutch legal complaint, which if successful would see all Samsung Galaxy devices removed from European stores. A side-by-side comparison image in Apple's court documents -- only simulated in graphics here -- depicts the Galaxy S as the same size as the iPhone 3G, even though the S is significantly taller and wider in reality. Apple acknowledges the difference in text, remarking that there are "some non-identical elements, such as the slightly larger dimensions."
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08/18, 3:15pm
Successful ban would deal major damage
Apple's complaint against Samsung in the Netherlands could potentially cripple the latter company's phone and tablet lines across Europe, a closer examination shows. The document calls for an injunction against all Galaxy devices, not just the Galaxy Tab 10.1. This includes the 7-inch Galaxy Tab, as well as the Galaxy Ace, Galaxy S and Galaxy SII smartphones. The Gio, Nexus, 551, Europa, Apollo and Mini are "expected" to be "covered by one or more of the patent rights invoked," according to Apple.
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06/22, 2:50pm
Follows US into protecting Internet access
The Netherlands has become the first European country to embrace network neutrality. Dutch lawmakers have passed legislation that prevents the nation's Internet service providers from charging customers extra for, or blocking access to, online-based services such as Skype. To date, the US is the only other country to have enacted net neutrality provisions.
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04/22, 2:50pm
T-Mobile pegged as initial Dutch carrier
The white iPhone 4 should finally go on sale on April 27th, a Dutch site suggests. iPhoneclub reports that the date comes from an internal memo at BelCompany, a local phone retailer. The first carrier to get white models may be the local branch of T-Mobile, which will allegedly get 16 and 32GB models, but only in limited quantities at first.
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01/12, 12:15pm
Includes more German, Italian, American shops
A bevy of new Apple Stores are in the works for 2011, a report says. At least several of these are forecast to open in Italy by the middle of the year, including one in Bologna, a previously unexpected outlet in Florence, and a second Milan location. Possible addresses for the Milan and Florence stores remain unknown.
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11/29, 10:45am
Company already hiring?
Apple is planning to open its first Dutch retail store in Amsterdam, a local website claims. Citing several sources, One More Thing says that Apple has leased the ground floor and mezzanine of the Hirsch Building, found at Leidseplein 29. In August of last year Apple is reported to have leased upper-floor offices for local operations; the ground floor recently went vacant, however, and was filled only by a temporary art exhibit.
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08/25, 8:25pm
Tiles added for media sharing, Vodafone
Microsoft has intentionally leaked the first relatively-clear picture of LG's E900 Optimus 7 handset. The image, which was posted on Microsoft Netherlands' WindowsPhoneNL Twitter feed, shows several new Windows Phone 7 tiles for media sharing and Vodafone 360 services.
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07/26, 10:50am
Prominent launches include Australia, Canada
Apple has confirmed plans to release the iPhone 4 in 17 more regions on Friday. In North America, Canada will finally get the device; the bulk of additional launches are in Europe, including Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. Elsewhere, Australia, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Singapore will begin sales.
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06/11, 5:10pm
Carriers discuss iPhone 4 availability
Digiarty has announced that it is giving away free copies of HD Video Converter for Mac until June 20th. Supporting over 200 video and audio codecs, the app converts videos into formats compatible with a variety of devices. This includes multi-track HD videos containing several language and video tracks. Digiarty adds that it is also currently offering a small discount on DVD Ripper for Mac, bringing the price down to $36.
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06/08, 1:55pm
iPhone believed to be to blame
The Dutch division of T-Mobile is offering refunds to customers dealing with 3G connection problems, reports say. T-Mobile is the only carrier to offer the iPhone in the country; the device is currently being linked to complaints about slow 3G speeds, as well as difficulty making voice calls. The latter issue may moreover affect anyone with a 3G phone, not just iPhone owners. Turning off 3G is said to instantly remedy calling.
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05/07, 8:55am
Second wave of countries due in July
Clearing up a formerly ambiguous timetable, Apple has announced that the international launch of the iPad is now set for May 28th. Nine regions will get the tablet initially: Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK. A second wave is only expected in July, including Austria, Belgium, Hong Kong, Ireland, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Singapore.
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11/03, 3:10pm
Exposes security vulnerability
A hacker in the Netherlands has attempted to extort several iPhone owners, reports say. The hacker is believed to have used port scanning to identify T-Mobile-branded phones running SSH, commonly used in jailbreaking techniques. Because many people do not change the default root password on jailbroken devices, the hacker was able to take control of iPhones, and send custom text messages warning them to visit a website in order to resecure their firmware.
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06/25, 3:40pm
Japanese iPhone 3GS launch
Japanese shoppers are already in line to buy the iPhone 3G S, which goes on sale with Softbank at 7AM local time on Friday, equivalent to 6PM Eastern on Thursday. Lines are smaller than those for the iPhone 3G launch, according to IDG, at present closer to 100 people at Softbank's flagship Omotesando store. When reservations opened for the 3G S last week, approximately 200 people arrived at the Omotesando location. Online preorders have not been allowed with Japanese iPhones.
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08/25, 9:35am
T-Mobile: 120,000+ iPhones
Deutsche Telekom's wireless division, T-Mobile, has sold over 120,000 iPhone 3Gs since the device's launch on July 11th, according to the division's CEO. Hamid Akhavan claims that "expectations were surpassed," and that at least 75,000 of the phones were sold in Germany. Many people wanting one have not yet been able to obtain it though, as Akhavan notes that a backlog exists due to delivery problems.
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07/04, 12:15pm
Snow Leopard performance
At its current stage of development, the Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard beta is not outperforming 10.5 Leopard by any wide stretches, as developers dive into the new OS with GeekBench. The Netherlands' Mac Zone writes that benchmarking numbers indicate that 10.6 performs better than 10.5, but only by a small margin. This hardly is conclusive of the final product, however, given that 10.6 Snow Leopard is still under early development – early betas of 10.5 Leopard had a very Tiger-like interface and poorer performance than the final build.
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07/02, 1:00am
T-Mobile 3G iPhone plans
T-Mobile clarified its 3G iPhone offerings for the Netherlands, which were previously hinted at on the company's website, offering unlimited data plans starting at €30 (~$50). The plans start at a basic 150 minute/SMS plan, with the next at 300 and 500 minutes/SMS messages, and offer varying discounts on the actual device itself. From lowest tier to highest, the 8GB and 16GB iPhones are priced at €80 (~$130)/€160 (~$250), €1 (~$2)/€80 (~$130), and €1 (~$2)/€20 (~$30), offered under a two-year contract.
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06/30, 5:10pm
Hutchinson iPhone 3G
Hutchison Telecom and T-Mobile on Monday announced pricing and plan information for the 3G iPhone for Hong Kong and The Netherlands, respectively, while Debitel unveiled plans for German distribution of the device. According to iLounge, Hutchison will offer the device at a price dependant on the plan chosen, of which there are four. The 8GB model will range from free to HK$2938 (~$380), while the 16GB will sell for HK$138 (~$20) to HK$3738 (~$480).
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06/18, 10:05am
Dutch iPhone via resellers
The iPhone 3G will be available through Apple resellers in the Netherlands, writes MacWereld. The site says that several such retailers have claimed deals with T-Mobile, which will otherwise be the only legal vendor of the iPhone in the country. Apple's official stores are located solely in Canada, Italy, Japan, the US and the UK, and the only authorized third-party iPhone distributor is the UK's Carphone Warehouse.
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05/27, 3:45pm
KPN on Dutch iPhone
Royal KPN is in negotiations with Apple about carrying the iPhone in the Netherlands, according to Thomson Financial. The news agency says that it has word of talks thanks to a KPN spokesman, who in turn explains that Apple actively approached the Dutch carrier, and met with a warm reception. No one at KPN has agreed to speak on the worth of a deal, however, or on matters like the progress of talks and how long they have been active.
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03/27, 9:10am
Dutch iPhone announcement?
An announcement of an iPhone for the Netherlands may come as soon as this Saturday, words from a local retailer may suggest. Dutch Apple reseller The Innovators has stated that it will reveal a new product on March 29th; indications that it may be the iPhone stem from a pair of hints, which first suggest that the product has never been available in the Netherlands to date, and also that it makes it easy to call. The announcement is scheduled for 11AM Dutch time.
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11/29, 11:25am
Dutch royalty buys iPhone
Members of the Dutch royal family are among the latest to own iPhones, German and Dutch sites are reporting. Willem-Alexander, the Prince of Orange and heir to the Dutch throne, was yesterday spotted buying two iPhones with his wife, the Argentinian-born Máxima. The purchase was unusual in that it was not made at a European store, but rather at Apple's Fifth Avenue outlet in New York City, where the iPhones are by default locked to AT&T; to use an iPhone in the Netherlands, owners must either buy an unlocked device from France or Germany, or else install hacks.
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