Denmark

U.N. summit implodes as U.S., others spurn Internet treaty

In a stunning repudiation of a United Nations summit, an alliance of Western democracies including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada today rejected a proposed treaty over concerns it hands repressive governments too much authority over the Internet.

"This conference was never meant to focus on Internet issues," said ambassador Terry Kramer, head of the U.S. delegation to the Dubai summit. "The Internet has given the world unimaginable economic and social benefit during these past 24 years -- all without U.N. regulation."

Delegates from the Netherlands, New Zealand, Denmark, Sweden, the Philippines, … Read more

Members only: Contest offers iPhone for smallest, um, unit

Hey guys, I hate to tell you this, but size really does matter -- at least if you're in the market for a free iPhone.

A Danish erotica site, SingleSex.dk, is promising a new Apple smartphone to the man who can verify that he possesses, let's say, the littlest groom.

"It's a competition which is at the core of manhood, the most important thing for a man," the site's owner, Morten Fabricius, told Agence France Presse. "There are so many unhappy men out there who think you have to... but it's not normal to have a huge one." … Read more

Lego, the world's most famous toy, turns 80

Looking at Lego's most impressive creations -- its giant "Star Wars" sets, its Master Builder Academy initiative, its programmable Mindstorms system -- it's easy to forget that it was 80 years ago that the global behemoth had much more humble beginnings when Ole Kirk Christiansen started a little wooden toy company in Billund, Denmark.

Today, Lego is celebrating its 80th birthday, and touting its growth from a tiny outfit in a single building in Billund to the world's third-largest "producer of play materials," employing 10,000 people, many in its variety of production facilities in Europe and beyond.

As the company is fond of pointing out, "Lego" comes from the combination of two Danish words, "leg" and "godt," meaning "play well." And in the early years, when it was focusing its energies on wooden toys, it was by no means a world-changer. … Read more

Dell apologizes for hiring sexist summit moderator

Last week, I wrote about a Dell summit in Copenhagen, Denmark, where the moderator of the event, Mads Christensen, "entertained" the crowd of IT professionals with a barrage of sexist jokes, and exhorted them to go home and tell their wives to "shut up, bitch."

This week, Dell posted an apology on its Google+ page, saying the company would be "more careful selecting speakers at Dell events."

The apology comes weeks after the actual event, unfortunately, after my column and tech blogger Christiane Vejlo's English-language post made it onto Reddit this past weekend. (… Read more

Copenhagen: A city of SUV cyclists

COPENHAGEN--The Danes practice what I call green pragmatism.

It's the realization that people, even those who believe in the cost- and health-benefit analyses of going green, are not going to change their behavior unless the new option is both practical and convenient.

But presented with cool technology in the marketplace and education on why a change might be beneficial, people will adopt new best practices offered to them. It's why the Toyota Prius has become so successful, while things like CFL and LED light bulbs are still struggling.

This is certainly the case here in Copenhagen. The self-described &… Read more

Denmark shows its green pragmatism

COPENHAGEN--Denmark is known to many for its progressive architecture, functional design, and leadership in wind and renewable energy. (Not to mention its Michelin-starred Noma restaurant.) But given the country's green reputation, how much of Denmark's electricity would you suppose is provided by wind turbines? By renewable energy in general?

If you guessed 50 percent--or even 30 percent--you'd be wrong. And so was I--even after years of reading and writing about Denmark and its green technology.

Given my longtime intrigue with Denmark's progressive energy policy and stake in gas, oil, and wind power, I decided to visit … Read more

How Lego changed the world of toys

BILLUND, Denmark--Though it's hard to imagine a time without Lego, the world-famous plastic bricks didn't exist until 1949. And today's brick, with its three little tubes that ensure a snug fit with other bricks, didn't come on the scene until 1957.

But the Lego company has been around much longer than that. It may be something most people have never even heard about; Ole Kirk Kristiansen's little outfit began in this small Danish town as a one-man operation turning out wooden toys. Being a world-famous brand was surely not on Kristiansen's mind at the … Read more

Better Place showcases first Europe station

Better Place held a demonstration at the first of 20 Better Place battery-switching stations planned for Denmark over the next year, the company announced today.

The station was installed in Gladsaxe, a town outside of Copenhagen. Its inaugural battery swap was conducted on a Renault Fluence Z.E.

Better Place offers a subscription service in which drivers of electric cars have their depleted car batteries swapped for a fully recharged one at any member station, in lieu of waiting 15-30 minutes for a partial charge, or hours to fully recharge at a charging station.

The company launched its first retail … Read more

Watching Lego make its world-famous bricks

BILLUND, Denmark--There are a lot of different Lego sets. There are pirate sets, Star Wars sets, city sets, space sets, and many more. But at the heart of it all, at the heart of a toy empire with many millions of passionate fans throughout the world, is the brick.

A single Lego brick is nothing special. But put two together and you can start to make things. Add another, and another, and the number of things you can make starts to go up exponentially. Let's say you had six standard four-by-two red bricks. With those pieces alone, there are … Read more