When thinking about Switzerland, chocolates, watches, banking systems and the cantonal system of government are more than likely the thoughts that come up. Actually, Apple is also quite strong here. MacDirectory takes a look at Apple and its operations in Switzerland. Switzerland has no natural resources, and as a result, education and knowledge have become the country's most important resources. Thus, technology and its uses have become very important for the nation’s economy. Switzerland, as it happens, also claims to have one of the world's best education systems. The capital of Switzerland is Bern City, also the capital of the canton ...

In spring 2010, Katie Spotz wrote for MacDirectory about her world-record rowing solo across the Atlantic. Now she and fellow adventurer Sam Williams just completed their recent challenge, detailed in Sam’s words below. What do you do when you’ve rowed the Atlantic Ocean by yourself? What do you do next? Where can you go from there? Well, you find someone else in the same position and put your heads together! There’s not a lot unusual about Katie Spotz and me. Well, no more so than everyone else. Except for perhaps one thing: We’ve both completed solo rows across the Atlantic Ocean. Which, I guess, does make us a little different.

When Google introduced Google Earth a few years ago, everyone was excited and creeped out at the same time when they were able to see their house from an aerial view. Later, when they released Street View in Google Maps, people were even more creeped out that they were able to actually see their house and nearby surroundings. The service did become popular, however, and extremely useful for both creepers and people trying to find their way around, and has become a very important part of many people's navigation arsenals. If vans with 3D cameras mounted on the top and TomTom written on the side are any indicator, TomTom may be looking to do ...

Poland, a country with a bitter history that labors beneath the weight of the realpolitik whims of European powers of the past, faces a bright and optimistic future. On March 1, 2004, Poland, along with four other former members of the Soviet bloc, joined the European Union, adding a final exclamation point to the country's leading role in ending the Soviet occupation of Eastern Europe in 1989. Following the so-called golden age during the 15th and 16th centuries, Poland fell prey to the vagaries of internecine power struggles between the emerging powers of Germany, Austria, and Russia. On several occasions, the country has disappeared ...

Audi has introduced a smartphone app for iOS, Android, and BlackBerry that is designed to connect with roadside assistance services also known as Allstate Roadside Services. If there is any kind of trouble, the app sends vehicle information from the cars computer system alongside GPS info from the phone to call for help. The app is available now from the App Store, Android Market, and BlackBerry App World. A variety of different roadside assistance features are available to help in case of battery failure, flat tire, running out of fuel, being locked out, accidents, mechanical failure, and a variety of other problems. Check it out now if ...

Everybody's creepin' on their customers these days, I guess. It has been discovered by two presenters at the 2011 Where 2.0 conference that iOS 4 iPhone and 3G-enabled iPads are saving a constant stream of location data to a file hidden deep in the device's system. The file is backed up and restored, and can date all the way back to when the device first ran iOS 4. Apple hasn't yet responded to this, though they are aware. This is coming just a week after third-party Android apps were found collecting the same information. The difference is that, as far as we know, the iDevices are keeping the data (unencrypted, mind you) to themselves. [ ...

Last year, General Motors released an app for iOS that allowed users to see a variety of information about and control their Chevy Volt, which was the only supported vehicle at the time of release. This information includes fuel levels, oil life, scheduled maintenance, remote starting, unlocking and locking, and other various statistics. As of Wednesday, GM has announced that they are expanding the app support to 14 2010 Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac models. These models include the Cadillac DTS, Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT; the Buick Enclave and Lucerne; the GMC Acadia, Yukon, and Yukon XL; and Chebrolet Avalanche, ...

You think you know France for its fine wines, rich history, the outrageous accents of its citizens, nuclear testing, taxes, small cars, arrogance, cheese, monuments, boring movies, their temperamental foreign relations, and strikes. What you may not know, however, is that France is Mac country. The first Apple shown at the France's first IT exhibition, the SICOB, was huge. Taller than a standing man, the mock-up was meant to look different, and it certainly achieved the desired effect. People were free to play with Macs aligned on tables. The main peripheral was a mouse, and the common sentiment was, "This is stupid, the pad is not big ...

One of the biggest and most well-known hotels in New York City, the Plaza Hotel, is now providing iPads to all of their guests in both their rooms and the Palm Court dining room. As demonstrated in the (for some reason silent) video below, an app on the iPad by Intelity called "ICE," or Interactive Customer Experience, allows guests to control and see a variety of different things around their stay including room service, A/C, weather conditions, messages, wakeup calls, and a variety of other commodities. The five-star hotel's manager, Shane Krige, said, "[The Plaza] chose the iPad because it is a great piece of equipment that is here to ...

When you think Tanzania, you might think lions, elephants, Masai warriors, and baobab trees, but technology probably wouldn't make your list. But for the last ten years, Tanzania's federal and local organizations have promoted education relating to modern computer technology. Whether it's just getting students to be computer literate, or enabling adults to run their businesses more efficiently, Tanzania has schools that are helping its population progress into the modern age at a rapid pace. What would you say if I told that that there was an MIT in Tanzania? You'd probably laugh, (as did I), but it's true. In Moshi, the small town near ...

When you say "Volvo," I usually instantly think "tank." When they started introducing electric cars, however, I was minority concerned that they may not be as safe as they once were due to lighter-weight construction. This doubt has been removed from my mind, however, because after a crash test of the E30 Electric Vehicle, the car didn't even leak any juice which is a VERY good thing. The car hit at 40 mph, into a big block, and it wasn't a pretty sight. However, no battery juice was leaked, which is exactly the message that Volvo wants to convey - they can be electric and still be just as safe as always. The video below is a separate ...

Griffin announced CarTrip not too long ago and demoed it at CES, and it is actually starting to gain some attention. The CarTrip is a dongle that plugs into your ODB-II port in your car (the big plug by your left knee) and tracks milage, efficiency, and will even allow you to read diagnostic reports and clear your check engine light. The dongle communicates with an app on your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad via Bluetooth, or it can store information on built-in memory or an SD card. The module costs $89.99, and should be available pretty soon. The module itself isn't tied to any individual OS, so Android compatibility should come in the ...

Depending on when you visit, Iceland can have sunlight all night or darkness all day. And in June and July the island nation experiences non-stop daylight. MacDirectory uncovers the role Apple plays in "The Land of the 
Midnight Sun." Iceland is surprising high-tech powerhouse considering its relative size and isolated location on the European continent. The relative racial homogeneity makes it easy for the populace to communicate in the language of shared cultural experiences. Perhaps, in fact, it is precisely the relative isolation of Iceland that make cell phone and Internet usage so popular. The Icelandic language is ...

It's Christmas Eve, and with that comes the time when people gather together with friends and family, eat way too much food, veg out, and give each other gifts. It is the same story every year, but that makes me wonder what it would be like if the nativity took place now rather than in 4 B.C. I think this video does a pretty good job of demonstrating just that. Merry Christmas from MacDirectory, everyone!

Drawing upon man's eternal quest to conquer nature and plant wireless networks upon it, Swedish telecom TeliaSonera has completed a 3G base station more than halfway up Mount Everest. The station is at an altitude of 5,200 meters compared to the 8,848 meters of Everest's peak, where climbers can now enjoy 3G service fast enough to handle video calls and surf the Internet. Previously, climbers had to rely on spotty reception on the world's highest peak, not to mention the expensive price that came with using satellite phone coverage. While the service might seem like an unnecessary luxury, a member of the International Mountain ...

Intentional or not, Apple seems to be doing its best to help frequent travelers. In addition to the iPad, the new 11-inch MacBook Air has also been given the all clear from the Transit Security Authority at airport security checkpoints. The 11.-6-inch computer can thank its small size for the free pass. The TSA technically counts the new Apple computer as a "small gadget" –– the same classification as the iPad and eBook readers such as the Kindle -– but the larger 13.3-inch Macbook Air has to go through the normal security hoopla. Not bad for a $999 computer with 5 hours of battery life. [Fortune]

Apple's online retail store now has a home in China's neck of the Interwebs just in time for the holidays, but I'm sure that's just a coincidence. On Tuesday Apple announced that customers in China can access the online Apple store featuring simplified Chinese, localized featured apps and charts for the country's most popular free and paid apps. Like other incarnations of the online store, the Apple Store in China will offer the iPhone 4 and iPad as well as free shipping and even free personalized engraving on iPods and iPads.