The harmonisation of standards for electronic identification across the EU should normally be soporific enough to send even the most Club-Mate-hyped hacker straight to sleep, but as Computer Weekly…

Apple and the EU have been in a bit of a spat over the past year. Well the next big Brussels blow comes to the iPhone’s battery, as a set of new approved rules require that smartphone batteries are easily replaceable by 2027.

Whenever regulation passes that seems to herald the dawn of a new age of repairable devices, there is almost always a catch, a loophole, or at least an "it depends." In the case of recent headline-grabbing battery legislation out of the European Union, we're waiting to see what counts as "readily" when it comes to removing and replacing device batteries.

Among the many changes, the new rules would require batteries in consumer devices like smartphones to be easily removable and replaceable. That's far from the case today with most phones, but that wasn't always the case. In the earlier days of mobile phones (think Nokia 5190, Nokia 3310, Motorola Razr V3, Palm Treo 700p), swapping out the battery took mere seconds. Charging technology wasn't all that fast, and it wasn't uncommon to carry around a spare battery pack to switch out when your primary battery got low.

Extreme weather conditions in Europe have killed almost 195,000 people and caused economic losses of more than 560 billion euros since 1980, the European Environment Agency said Wednesday.

Habsburg emperor Rudolf II owned a spirit-summoning alchemical hand bell. We want to decipher its cryptic Greek inscriptions.

Banning ultra short-haul flights, creating air-rail links, and upping taxes on domestic and short flights – European countries are leading the way towards a public transport system that favors train travel over flying, but not without problems.

You may have heard the news that the EU hit Meta with a $1.3 billion fine for violating EU “data privacy rules” and assumed that this was just Meta being Meta and being bad about your privacy. But …

Scientists think a traumatized orca initiated the assault on boats after a "critical moment of agony" and that the behavior is spreading among the population through social learning.

Last year, the EU passed legislation that will require the iPhone and many other devices with wired charging to be equipped with a USB-C port in order to be sold in the region. Apple has until December 28, 2024 to adhere to the law, but the switch from Lightning to USB-C is expected to happen with iPhone 15 models later this year.

Nuclear propulsion could enable humanity to reach farther into space than ever before.

Destinations that are struggling with overtourism are reconsidering the future of these giant ships.

Otherwise known as sideloading, the change would allow customers to download apps without needing to use the App Store, which would mean developers wouldn't need to pay Apple's 15 to 30 percent fees. The European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA), which went into effect on November 1, 2022, requires "gatekeeper" companies to open up their services and platforms to other companies and developers.

Finland's much-delayed Olkiluoto 3 (OL3) nuclear reactor, Europe's largest, began regular output early on Sunday, its operator said, boosting energy security in a region to which Russia has cut gas and power supplies.

Meta announced that starting next Wednesday, some Facebook and Instagram users in the European Union will for the first time be able to opt out of sharing first-party data used to serve highly personalized ads, The Wall Street Journal reported. The move marks a big change from Meta's current business model, where every video and piece of content clicked on its platforms provides a data point for its online advertisers.

Pope Francis has a respiratory infection and will need to spend “a few days” in hospital for treatment, the Vatican said in a statement on Wednesday. The statement said the 86-year-old pontiff had complained of breathing difficulties in recent days. It added that tests showed he did not have Covid-19.

The European Parliament has reached a provisional agreement with the EU Council regarding charging and hydrogen refueling stations across Europe. The rule states that by 2026, there will be charging stations at every 60 kilometers along the TEN-T network. For those who don't know, the TEN-T is the EU's ambitious transport network project that includes highways, roads, ports and trains, connecting all parts of the Old Continent.

Rumours that Apple plans to restrict charging and data transfer speeds when using third-party USB-C cables have drawn the EU’s ire. MEP Alex Agius Saliba, who spearheaded the European Parliament’s efforts to introduce a universal charging standard for electronics manufacturers, said on Wednesday that any such move would be in breach of EU law.

Regulators are using an AI system to scan websites and messaging apps to find pornography. Creators face fines and potential prison sentences.

Berlin votes on Sunday on making the city climate neutral by 2030, in a binding referendum that will force the new conservative local government to invest heavily in renewable energy, building efficiency and public transportation.