The real name requirements for Weibo in China is about to get realer. On March 16, 2012, all Twitter-like service providers in China need personal ID data from all users (old and new). Even though you may still post under your alias, they'd know who, say, "TomCat1234" would be, as they have your ID data on file. In a recent Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) Annual Report on China's Rule of Law, as reported by China.com.cn, the real ID requirement has been singled out as something that could "bring new ...
About David Feng
David Feng has been in the tech world since he was a kid. In 1991, he got himself on a Mac and has become a faithful 20+ year Mac user. In 2002, he started the Beijing Mac user group, currently the beimac circle community. He's been tweeting about Macs, technology, but also trains and culture, since 2007. Married and based in Beijing, he's also toying with thousands of iApps...
Feb 9 2012
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Angry Birds Still Flying High in China with Online Tmall Store
You can't seem to get away from those Angry Birds here in China. I've been to a Starbucks where the moment I was served, the xylophonic trills of Angry Birds played by a nearby gamer was heard. Cakes around town bear the shapes and figures of the Red Bird (not sure if that was a licensed cake or not, though!). So it's little surprising that Angry Birds is big in China. Rovio has felt the fever in China and has responded with a Mid-Autumn Festival edition of Angry Birds Seasons and ...
Dec 8 2011
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Beijing’s Central Business District Gets Wi-fi
The Beijing News reports that the whole 3.99 square kilometers of the Beijing CBD (Central Business District) is to be covered with a wireless Internet signal. Soon, you might encounter mobile nomads sitting on the sidewalk, tweeting away — courtesy of that free wifi. Just get yourself into the Beijing CBD (physically), log onto the CBD-WLAN wi-fi network and login. You will be given the option of using a mobile phone verification code or using Sina Weibo to directly login. Sina Weibo users might also rejoice in knowing that at quite ...
Nov 29 2011
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Bad Passwords with Chinese Characteristics
111111, 123456, password, abc123, qwerty. Boom. OK, I said it. If you have one of these set as your passwords, you're in big trouble. These are the weakest passwords for both Chinese users and for those overseas, according to stats from China's 360 Security Center and from Bei Fang Wang. Please stop reading now and change your password before the hackers take charge! But while the more international ones amongst us might prefer words in English — like football, michael and even letmein — the Chinese are a little more "innovative". ...
Nov 25 2011
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Can You Get Online on China’s High Speed Trains?
I shun the plane for domestic travel inside China for a big reason — the fact that they don't come with connectivity and that you are forced to switch off your phones. It feels like a bit of a two-hour deluxe prison as I'm cut off from the rest of the planet. I've sent out 80,000+ tweets since I joined Twitter... and I don't like being off the grid for that long! However, for those who have been waiting for wifi onboard China's high speed trains, especially those on the flagship ...
Nov 18 2011
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China Finally Expands Online Train Ticket Sales to Non-High Speed Trains
Never mind that high speed trains in China are (a tad) expensive (comparatively): You pay for the service, including this little bit of tech convenience — of buying the tickets in the comfort of your own home, in front of your computer. Yours truly lives about 5 minutes (by foot) from a ticket agent — and he lazily wishes that place didn't close after, say, 8 PM... Happily, this is reality — now: Since September 30, 2011, the rule is that those who travel by high speed rail (where train numbers ...
Nov 14 2011
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iRush? 8 GB iPhone 4 Out of Stock Just After China Arrival
While Hong Kong got their Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPhone 4S on Singles Day (November 11, 2011), the rest of China as in the mainland was "supposed" to get their 8 GB model of the iPhone 4. But in reports from The Beijing News over the past weekend (as cited by Xinhua), it looks like these elusive 8 GB iPhone 4s are nowhere to be seen. The iPhone 4 looks like an endangered species now that the 16 GB and 32 GB units have been pulled — the iPhone 4S has only reached the ...
Nov 11 2011
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With 229 TB of RAM, China Invests More in its Supercomputers, Cloud Computing
What do Tianjin, Shenzhen, Changsha and Ji’nan Have In Common? They’re all home to China’s four biggest supercomputer centers. Apt for the world’s biggest nation (when it comes to netizen headcount): China’s supercomputers have the world looking at the country — and is yet another big thingfor China. One of the centerpieces of this: Tianhe-1 (pictured above). Based in Tianjin, it is China’s first supercomputer. Tianhe-1’s got a pretty tall order. Don’t overlook it because of its rather small user base of just 200 users: they’re all those with pretty heavy demands. ...
Nov 10 2011
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When the Cops Start Tweeting on Weibo…
I have to say, to the average expat, the cops here in the PRC might end up as being a little fearsome. It’s these guys who decide whether or not you’re allowed into the country, and if you’re slapped with a thousand-plus RMB fine for speeding, these guys pocket the whole thing (allegedly!). When I lost my iPhone in Shanghai, I spent a whole hour declaring the loss to the cops, who used a little bit of backward technology known as pen and paper… So you can imagine the shock and ...
Nov 9 2011
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China Unicom Brings a Cheaper 8GB iPhone 4, For “Free” At a Huge Cost
This might well be a stunt to capture non-romantically involved smartphone fans (since November 11 is also “Singles Day” here in China), but according to reports on the Beijing Qianlong news website, China Unicom (HKG:0762; NYSE:CHU) will be rolling out the 8GB iPhone 4 on that very day. Prices will drop to 3,999RMB (US$630). For people who’ll be online a lot, there’ll also be the option to get the phone for free. But there’s a catch — you need to commit to actually spending big on 3G with these people to ...
Nov 9 2011
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Gao Xiaosong’s Free Again — and the Weibosphere Reacts…
Noted musician Gao Xiaosong (Sina Weibo account) is free again. The musician, who doubled as a judge on China's Got Talent, was put in detention (and got a CNY 4,000.00 fine) for six months on May 17, 2011 on charges of drunk driving. (He's also lost his driving license and can't apply for a new one for the next five years. China has been cracking down more and more on the illegal practice in recent years.) Gao tweeted this out just 14 minutes after being set free at midnight on November ...
Nov 8 2011
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A Voyage of Discovery Across China, Where Weibo Followers Are Your Guides, Hosts
If you thought the Chinese equivalent of Twitter, Weibo, is only for super-enthusiastic fans of superstars (such as the gorgeous actress Yao Chen), think again. An increasing number of Weibo people are in the travel business, or just love traveling, and are using the microblogging platform to help shape their journeys. I've encountered one such person who has been to 40+ countries. And I myself, being an enthusiastic tweeting traveller on trains, have to say that tweeting your journey on Weibo makes it even more worthwhile. At times I even got ...
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