Gizmodo: French

Apple and Orange Fight Over iPhone, Comparisons to Each Other

Jason Chen — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 19:00:42 EDT

French cellphone provider Orange (owned by France Telecom) and Apple are having troubles coming to an agreement about the iPhone distribution in France, which may lead to delays—or even worse, going to another cellphone provider entirely. There's not much else we can say about Apple and Orange fighting that would be funnier than the fact that Apple and Orange are fighting. So savour this moment while you can. This juicy, citrusy moment. [Reuters - Image Credit]

French iPhone Launching Without 3G or Unlimited Data

Jason Chen — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 14:01:34 EDT

TechCrunch France and Crunchgear have two bits of information on the French iPhone that's sure to disappoint: no 3G and no unlimited data plan. We'll find out more at the Apple Expo in Paris later this month. [Crunchgear]

Chair Backpack Turns You Into a Pink Ninja Turtle

Brian Lam — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 18:10:11 EDT

This French-designed chair, called "Wear Your Seat," is a semi-rigid foam cushion that molds to your back. You might dismiss it as a wacky design prototype, but have a little vision: Hot Pink Backspins, dude.

Up close photo:

–Brian Lam
Wear Your Seat [via Sci Fi Blog]

Frenchies Release Petit Computeur - C'est Très Cheap

www.gizmodo.com — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 07:21:20 EDT

French ISP Neuf Cegetel has come up with a computer that costs pas beaucoup. $53 ~~buys you the computer~~ gets you a month's worth of computer plus ADSL line rental, $39 gets you a mouse, keyboard and camera, and a 14-inch color monitor is $132.

UPDATE: That's about $13 a month more than a broadband subscription, so the computer will cost you $156 a year.

Admittedly, you don't get a lot for your 50 bucks-plus—a 512KB flash disk, Linux operating system, Firefox, Abiword and Gnumeric spreadsheet, but the computer—which looks like something Barbarella might have watched Desperate Spacechicks on, is compatible with all sorts of peripherals, including external hard drives, Internet phone headsets and digital cameras.

The $53 initial outlay is just $13 more than the cost of an average broadband subscription in the land of the Fromage-Mangeurs. Perhaps it is a ploy by Neuf Cegetel to get more people online, as just 61 percent of French homes have computers, compared with the European average of 64 percent. But that's still way behind the 75 percent over here. Another pic and video after the jump.

easy_neuf
Uploaded by easyneuf

– Ad Dugdale

France caters to market for most simple of computers [International Herald Tribune]

French iPod Cases May Be Too Cute For Humanity

Jason Chen — Tue, 19 Sep 2006 19:00:15 EDT

These French cases for your iPod may look like Domokun, but they're definitely French in origin. The felt cases are handmade, and retail for $40 to $50, but who can put a price on cuteness? Apparently these two French sisters.

Also in the same vein, a case for your MacBook that includes track pad, keyboard, and iSight cutouts. To get one, you have to email the sisters directly since they don't have a website.

Apple Expo Paris: Possibly the Cutest iPod Covers Ever [Gearlog via SCI FI Blog]

Ellen Feiss Stars In A Movie

Jason Chen — Thu, 13 Jul 2006 18:57:56 EDT

Ellen Feiss, star of the most famous and most watched Switch Ad, is back! She's starring in a french movie called "Bed and Breakfast" as one half of a set of newlyweds (I think, as my French is nonexistent).

We doubt she's going to throw in any Feiss-isms in the movie—beep beep beep—but she's still cute. We hear the Dell guy's going to be in a German U-Boat movie next year. – Jason Chen

Movie Page [Bed & Breakfast]

French Lawmakers Approve Softened iTunes Bill

Jason Chen — Thu, 22 Jun 2006 18:50:23 EDT

Good news for French iPod fans as lawmakers in France approved a softened copyright law that allows a workaround for Apple to keep their iTunes and iPod in the market. The law still tries to make Apple open up their online music service to other MP3 players, but also has a loophole that allows companies like Apple to make a deal with copyright holders—the record companies—to keep the iTunes/iPod bundling intact.

Along with having to get permission from the big 5 record companies, iTunes needs to track down all independent labels and strike deal with them too—something the indies may not be quite willing to do. This could possibly mean that parts of iTunes tracks will be available to non-iPod players in France. Something we'll have to keep an eye on. – Jason Chen

French lawmakers approve compromise iTunes bill [Marketwatch]

It's UMPC

johnb — Fri, 28 Apr 2006 11:09:04 EDT

No, that's not a typo. This UMPC comes from a company in deepest France called It's Label. This UMPC runs the VIA C7M NaNo with Windows Tablet PC edition and 7-inch touchscreen with 40GB hard drive, Bluetooth, and WiFi.

Nothing to write home about, but it should cost about $1200 and features a smug sense of superiority as well as the penchant to eat/produce great wine and cheese.

Product Page [It's Label via MobileWhack via NaviGadget]