Giant Robot Store and GR2 News
It does sound like a double standard. China’s government is notorious for its rigorous, sometimes harsh, internet censorship standards. You have likely heard stories about how access to anti-Chinese-government web content and to foreign websites like Facebook and Twitter is monitored and usually blocked. The “fairness” of China’s restrictive internet access policies has always rested in the fact that everyone in the country, both Chinese citizens and foreigners, was affected. However, the city of Chongqing, one of China’s four government direct-controlled municipalities, now plans to offer unrestricted internet access as a way of attracting foreign companies and investment to its Cloud Computing Special Zone. This “zone” is currently under construction, and is intended to be a showcase and development center for Chinese cloud computing technologies. The irony of restriction-free internet access has not been lost on those who monitor China’s government and technology markets. Further irony rests in the fact that apparently Chinese government censors have begun demanding the removal of news reports about both the cloud computing zone and stories related its intended internet access policy. (Computerworld – Uncensored China Internet)
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The news we get out of North Korea seems to pretty much fall into two categories: One, cartoonish tales of the glorious achievements of the government, the people and their beloved leader Kim Jong Il; and, Two, disturbing reports about starvation, torture, defection and the world’s ultimate cult of personality. It is easy to guess which types of stories are the truth, but it is very hard for those of us in the West to actually know what is the truth. But perhaps that is about to change. After reaching an agreement with the state-run Korean Central News Agency, the Associated Press has been given permission to open a bureau in the former North Korean capital city of Pyongyang. This will make it the first Western print and photojournalism organization allowed to do so (AP Television News, which established a Pyongyang office in 2006, was the first Western news service of any kind in North Korea.) So perhaps we can look forward to a steady stream of reliable day-to-day news reports from inside North Korea. We have to wonder, though, what kind of hardships and scrutiny Western journalists will face living and working under the watchful eye of such a repressive government. (The Atlantic Wire – AP into Pyongyang)
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We’re going to let the fashion pictures at the link speak for themselves, because they are just so cool. Well, conceptually anyway depending upon your fashion sense. As you can see, Japanese high-fashion designer Kunihiko Morinaga has taken the colorful and at times garish colors and pixelated patterns of old 8-bit video games and transferred them to shoes, hosiery, blouses and other clothing items for both women and men. What we find particularly inspired is how the designer has incorporated the chunky, blocky look of old video games into the heels of shoes, and the ragged, low-rez video graphic style into the edges of garment lapels and hems. If you are a vintage video game enthusiast, or a fan of newer retro-styled indie games, then these blocky splashes of vibrant color and earthy background hues will seem both comfortably familiar and yet somehow fresh. But don’t plan on running out to Macy’s or Target to pick up an 8-bit jacket or necktie just yet. Morinaga’s designs are still fresh off the modeling runway, and reportedly rather expensive. (Gamma Squad – Pixelated High Fashions)
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If Myanmar were a nightclub powered by controversy instead of liquor and dancing, it would be one popular night spot indeed. This time the country is in the news for banning actress Michelle Yeoh from entering. Seems government officials in the former Burma are not too pleased the Malaysian beauty is starring in an upcoming Luc Besson movie about Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi. The movie, titled “The Lady”, is reportedly a love story which focuses primarily on Kyi’s enduring relationship with her late husband Michael Aris, and her extraordinarily long house arrest resulting from her humanitarian principles. Although Yeoh is now banned from Myanmar, she has been able to visit the country before, notably last December when she actually met with Kyi herself. Overall, this actually seems like good publicity for “The Lady”, which is set for release this October. But it is too bad Yeoh won’t be able to promote the film in Kyi’s native land. Nevertheless, we can’t wait for this movie and plan to get our tickets early. (BBC News Asia-Pacific – No Myanmar for Michelle)
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There is, of course, a spectrum for fans of Apple technology. It ranges from “pretty enthralled” to “deeply, hopelessly in love”. Where the kid in the following story fits in, we’re not entirely sure. Seems a 17-year-old boy from China’s Anhui Province wanted an iPad2 SO badly that he sold his kidney to get one. His story was that he could not afford one of the coveted Apple devices and this surgical solution was the only way he could raise money to buy one. We don’t know what a fresh human kidney is worth on the open market these days, but this youngster got about $3,400 for his. We’d like to say this weird tale has a happy ending, but we’re not exactly sure the kid got the iPad he wanted. Seems his mother called the police after finding out about her son’s actions, and it turns out the kidney surgery was performed at a hospital unqualified to perform it. Seems like a huge mess; but for the record the boy with iPad 2 lust is very, very sorry for the whole incident. (The Shanghai Daily – Kid Swaps Kidney for iPad 2)
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