It appears Google and the Chinese government still aren’t the greatest of friends. Over the weekend it has emerged that Google’s Android Market is once again inaccessible from within mainland China — though not for the first time. Google and China have a long, troubled relationship. Google’s anti-censoring stance last year likely did little to help. The Android Market is the latest Google app to (re-) join the blocklist along with fellow...
While half a world away the events in the UK riots are captivating the world for not only the violence that’s occurred, but the methods in which local governments and law enforcement are looking at curbing future public unrest — cellular/social networking blackouts. And while some critics in the U.S. may stand up and call out UK officials for the blatant misuse of power, the problem of censorship and social blackouts are just as alive and real in the...
Infamous iPhone Dev Team member MuscleNerd has recently found his Google+ account suspended – for not using his real name. Oh Internets, how our anonymity has always been a respected and an allowed idea. Google on the other hand slaps the hands of those that wish to be recognized, how they have always been recognized – by their internet handles. Up until the suspension, MuscleNerd had around 3k people in his Circles, so obviously Google’s claims of...
Internet phone services such as Skype are about to have a much harder time operating within China’s borders, if at all. China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology stated that “We are carrying out with relevant authorities a campaign to crack down on illegal Voice over Internet Protocol phone services” — In this case, “illegal” means any service that is not state-owned and under the direct control of the Chinese...
Four days — that’s how long the unofficial Wikileaks iOS app lasted in the App Store. Sometime late last night, Apple removed said app without any explanation as to why. Yes, the site has posted controversial material. But thats what news organizations do. They report the news, regardless of what it is. The man behind Wikileaks, Julian Assange, has an equally questionable drama surrounding his personal life too with various accounts of sexual assault...
BlackBerry users in Saudi Arabia were gearing up for their device’s certain death. With hours to spare, it has come to light that someone (RIM or Saudi Arabia) caved and managed to strike a deal. Given the Kingdom’s rather firm approach to the whole matter, I’d wager it isn’t them who bent under pressure. That medal (if you can call it that) goes to RIM. While I see the business side of the decision, that doesn’t negate the fact it’s...
