chinese

The freedom to journey the web is largely taken for granted here in North America. Unfortunately, that's hardly the case in Asia, where mere images (or videos) are scrutinized for their most basic and even remote meanings. Two stories on this ... reality are emerging right now, and they're both fascinating glimpses of political environments Americans struggle to comprehend. And, despite that rather comforting disconnect, the United States plays a role in both accounts. The first involves (relatively) popular search engine Yahoo Inc, which is facing a lawsuit by imprisoned Chinese political ... (view more)

In a couple recent articles by myself and my colleague Brandon Dimmel , we've mentioned the Big Brother concept a couple of times. Now we can talk about the worst Big Brother case scenario known to modern man (and woman). When used correctly, the ... concept of Big Brother can be beneficial to everyone's safety and security. When used as a tool to maintain complete control over an entire country, there is always the possibility of mind-numbing civil rights violations, too. At least 20,000 police surveillance cameras are reportedly being installed along streets in southern China. These will soon ... (view more)

A year after Microsoft's Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) was first introduced, it seems to finally be paying off. That's the case abroad, in the world's most populated nation. Chinese Microsoft customers there have steered authorities to a ... multi-billion dollar counterfeit ring and the arrest of 25 people. (Source: dailytech.com ) The Windows Genuine Advantage came under fire last year when it was revealed Microsoft's anti-piracy platform "phoned home" after being installed on a user's computer. Although the company had somewhat legitimate intentions in monitoring the growing number of ... (view more)

Take a moment and thank heavens you live in a free, democratic country. In Canada and the United States, there are (almost) no restrictions on snapping photos and immediately posting them online for anyone to see. While some exceptions may apply, ... even videos of an intoxicated President Bush have made their way to YouTube without FBI or CIA interference. Unfortunately, this kind of freedom eludes the world's fastest-growing economy. Everyone remembers Tiananmen Square. The image of one, solitary man blocking a series of tanks from passing is unforgettable. For nearly two decades this scene ... (view more)

A group that supports online freedom of the press has recently admonished China for being among the worst culprits of systemic online censorship. The organization, known as Reporters without Borders, has also claimed that of the 61 people currently ... imprisoned worldwide for "subversive" content, 52 originate from China. (Source: theglobeandmail.com ) Reporters without Borders is an international non-government organization that promotes worldwide freedom of the press and Internet etiquette. China is one of 13 countries singled out by the group following a recent protest against Internet ... (view more)

Imagine a world where minors can have their online game sessions legally ended after a fixed amount of playtime. Envision a place where psychiatric clinics are available to wean children away from compulsive Internet use. Picture a country that bans ... its youth from Internet cafes. Welcome to China. The psych wards are already open, Internet cafes may soon be closed to children in China if legislation passes, and Chinese Parliament is currently considering technology to shut down a minor's online game access after the designated quantity of time has passed. (Source: physorg.com ) The Reason ... (view more)