Eurobites: Nokia patent injunction stops Daimler in its tracksEurobites: Nokia patent injunction stops Daimler in its tracks

Middle Eastern operator du is collaborating with Germany's Software AG on a subscription-based licensing model for Internet of Things (IoT) services aimed at du's business customers in the UAE. According to the companies, the partnership will make it easier for customers in markets such as healthcare, utilities and manufacturing to design, build and deploy IoT applications.

Deutsche Telekom is to become a partner in an ongoing research project looking into the potential of drones for use in medical logistics applications. The operator is providing the necessary mobile communications infrastructure for a campus network that enables the drones to be remotely controlled out of the pilot's visual range, allowing them to fly back and forth in urban airspace carrying medical supplies between two hospitals in the German city of Siegen.

Merthyr Tydfil, a post-industrial town in Wales, is beset by economic deprivation and predicted to see further decline over the next two decades, but maybe it will get a bit of a boost from the arrival of Openreach's full-fiber gigabit broadband. Assuming, that is, anyone there can afford it… Figure 1: Merthyr Tydfil: Not many jobs, but plenty of bandwidth.
(Source: Caradog Llywelyn on Creative Commons)

Hands-free driving is currently illegal on Britain's roads – but it might not be by spring 2021. According to a BBC report, the UK government's Department for Transport has issued a call for evidence into the potential of automated lane keeping systems (ALKS), which can control a car's movements and keep it in the right lane position for "extended periods." Drivers, however, have to be ready to take back control, so anyone hoping to flick the full-seat-recline lever and hit the cocktails to help while away the hours of a long road trip will be disappointed. ALKS are currently featured on some premium vehicles from Audi, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, General Motors and Tesla.

It's official: You're still young when you're 30. That, at least is the suggestion from Swisscom, which is tweaking its postpaid offerings to reflect what it sees as the changing needs of its non-wrinkly customers, increasing their inclusive data volumes and surfing speeds. To find out what they're offering, click here.

Virgin Media, the UK cable operator that is part of the Liberty Global empire, is allowing its customers to watch this coming weekend's UEFA Champions League and Europa League soccer finals for "free." However, the move is unlikely to set Virgin subscribers' pulses racing because both finals are being shown by BT Sport for free on YouTube anyway.

— Paul Rainford, Assistant Editor, Europe, Light Reading