Google search blocked in China, again; other services partially blocked (update: false alarm, says Google)

A conciliatory end? Looks like we spoke too soon. Yes, Google and China seem to be on a collision course yet again, with the company’s “Mainland China service availability page” showing that web search and ads have once again been fully blocked. Additionally, image and news search have been downgraded from “fully accessible” yesterday to “partially blocked” today. YouTube, Picasa, and other services already blocked remain as such. Looks like the saga continues.

Update: TechCrunch reports hearing back from Google, who now say this is all much ado about nothing — or rather, it’s a false alarm. Apparently there was “relatively small blockage” last night, but it has since returned to normal.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Google search blocked in China, again; other services partially blocked (update: false alarm, says Google) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Jul 2010 19:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Market Watch  |  sourceGoogle  | Email this | Comments

Computex 2010: the best of the rest from Engadget Chinese

We’ve been running up and down the show floors here at Computex over the past week, and frankly, we’re a bit overwhelmed. And exhausted. But mostly just stoked about chowing down on “fish legs” and “frog balls” at Taipei’s own Windows 7-theme eatery. We’ve been covering the major hits right here on our front page, but our tremendous comrades over at Engadget Chinese have been blazing trails of their own. We all know you’re looking for an excuse to brush up on your Chinese anyway, so why not dig in below to catch the best of the rest from a world-class group of folks? Enjoy… er, 享受.

More Computex coverage from Engadget Chinese — it’s just a click away.

Computex 2010: the best of the rest from Engadget Chinese originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 06 Jun 2010 04:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Labor practice protest goes down at Computex, Steve Jobs called an ‘OEM profit bloodsucker’

It’s hard to say if today’s protest outside of the Computex show floor has anything in particular to do with Taiwan’s president showing up to tour the expo, but there’s zero doubt that it has a lot to do with the recent attention given to questionable labor practices in Foxconn’s Chinese facilities. A good two dozen protesters were out in force today, with loads of police and TV cameras giving the world a look at how these folks feel about Apple CEO Steve Jobs and Wintek’s CEO in particular. As for Jobs, he was being labeled an “OEM profit bloodsucker” and “the man behind irresponsible contractors,” while a slew of others were deemed “production line killers, number one union butchers, representatives of mass layoffs and kings of chemical killing.” We also spotted instances of “tired to death” and “suicide overtime work,” neither of which are particularly rosy. Hit the gallery below for more of the mayhem.

Labor practice protest goes down at Computex, Steve Jobs called an ‘OEM profit bloodsucker’ originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Jun 2010 02:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GPS 800G watch phone gets the job done (and little else)

Watch phones clearly haven’t hit the mainstream yet, though a resurgence of Dick Tracy may very well turn that around. Given that we’re probably years, if not centuries, away from that happening, it’s up to niche import shops like Alibaba to bring us goods like these. The GPS 800G — delivered by none other than Shanghai Zhiyuan Vacuum Electric Company, of course — manages to handle time telling, texting, GPS routing and even emergency calling. Oh, and normal calling as well. Looks as if you’ll need to ping the supplier in order to get a lock on pricing, but we can’t say with a straight face that it’ll be worth your while.

GPS 800G watch phone gets the job done (and little else) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 24 May 2010 06:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink The Red Ferret Journal  |  sourceAlibaba  | Email this | Comments

EB710 e-reader rocks an LCD, intriguing user interface

Looks like this one’s been sitting around in the shadows for awhile now, and in fact, we can’t even find the bona fide manufacturer of this here device. Boasting a 7-inch LCD (since when were those deemed fit for reading on?), built-in rechargeable battery, multimedia player, image viewer, optional FM radio, USB 2.0 connector and a user interface that almost looks a wee bit like Android at a glance. Regrettably, there’s no pricing or availability details to be found (nor any indication of an inbuilt wireless module), but we’re guessing the mystery owners here wouldn’t try moving this one for too much.

EB710 e-reader rocks an LCD, intriguing user interface originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 16 May 2010 13:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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44 Chinese workers sue Wintek over screen cleaner poisoning

If you’ve got an early Apple iPad, chances are its screen was cleaned with a banned substance called n-hexane, which releases a toxic nerve gas upon use. 2,000 workers at Wintek’s East China LCD plant went on strike in January, claiming the substance was poisoning them, and now 44 of those reportedly affected are planning to sue. According to reports, the screen cleaner was originally used because it performed better than alcohol, but Wintek has since fired the factory manager who suggested n-hexane and discontinued its use. That didn’t keep 62 workers from winding up in the hospital, however. The Guardian interviewed two hospitalized workers last week, and you’ll find their stories at our more coverage link below. We’re sure you’ll agree these Chinese labor violations are getting out of hand — let’s hope this lawsuit spurs government and industry to do something concrete about worker abuse.

44 Chinese workers sue Wintek over screen cleaner poisoning originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 15 May 2010 16:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Barron’s, Apple Insider  |  sourceStratfor Global Intelligence  | Email this | Comments

Keepin’ it real fake: Nokia’s N8 beaten to release by lackluster knockoff

All together now: “Already?” KIRFers overseas are getting quicker and quicker with their knockoffs, and at this point, it’s safe to say that you’ll have an easier time wrapping your hands around a commendable Nokia N8 impostor than the real-deal. The outside looks an awful lot like Nokia’s first major Symbian^3-based handset, but the specifications are decidedly lackluster: you’ll get a 400 x 240 resolution display (3.2-inches), an MP4 player, FM radio, Bluetooth, webcam and a battery that’ll last three to five hours. Glaringly absent is a 12 megapixel camera, WiFi module and built-in 3G support, but it’s not like that stuff really matters — after all, what else would you expect for an unsubsidized price of just $105? Head on past the break for a video, rockstar.

[Thanks, Alain]

Continue reading Keepin’ it real fake: Nokia’s N8 beaten to release by lackluster knockoff

Keepin’ it real fake: Nokia’s N8 beaten to release by lackluster knockoff originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 May 2010 10:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chinese iPhone approved with WAPI WiFi

You might not be aware of this but the official Chinese iPhone offered by China Unicom since October 2009 doesn’t include WiFi — part of the reason for a continued Chinese grey market for iPhones sourced from neighboring countries. Now we’re seeing a China-approved 3G / GSM / Bluetooth device from Apple capable of using China’s homegrown WAPI (WLAN Authentication and Privacy Infrastructure) protocol. The new device — presumably a 4th generation iPhone — will join Dell’s Mini 3i as one of a few foreign handsets to feature the Chinese national standard for WLAN. See the 26 April approved regulatory filing after the break.

Update: The reference to “A1303” in the chinese language filing means this is likely a WAPI version of the iPhone 3GS, not a 4th gen device.

Continue reading Chinese iPhone approved with WAPI WiFi

Chinese iPhone approved with WAPI WiFi originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 May 2010 03:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lenovo’s 14-inch Z460 mentioned again overseas, this time with a Core i5 CPU

Ready for the latest international laptop mystery? Good. Lenovo‘s 14-inch Z460, which has yet to be confirmed as real by the company, recently surfaced over in China with a decidedly average set of specifications. A Core i3 CPU, 2GB of RAM, a 320GB SATA hard drive and Windows 7 Home Basic were found onboard, though no further details were divulged. Fast forward to today, and this very same machine is seemingly available to order on contract from Singapore’s own SingTel, complete with a Core i5-430M processor (2.26GHz), Windows 7 Home Premium, a 14-inch WXGA display, 500GB hard drive and 2GB of DDR3 memory. Naturally, a free integrated wireless modem is thrown in here, but now we’re stuck wondering if a) this is the last of the configuration options and b) when exactly Lenovo plans to come forward and officially introduce this thing. Any day now, Junior…

[Thanks, Zhang Yi Jiang]

Lenovo’s 14-inch Z460 mentioned again overseas, this time with a Core i5 CPU originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 May 2010 07:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aigo’s surprisingly sexy 7-inch N700 tablet packs Android 2.1 and Tegra 2

Go ‘head Aigo! Get down with your bad self. Quite frankly, we never anticipated Aigo / Patriot to come through with a me-too tablet that actually made us take a second glance, but darn if this one isn’t quite the looker. And that’s before you’ve even had a moment to digest the specifications sheet. According to new details surfacing in China, this 7-inch machine will hum along on a 1GHz ARM Cortex A9 processor and feature NVIDIA’s Tegra 2 graphics chipset. There’s also 512MB of DDR2 memory, an 800 x 480 pixel multitouch display, 4/16/32GB of inbuilt storage, a USB socket, microSD slot, HDMI output, inbuilt WiFi, optional 3G WWAN, audio in / out and a 3,120mAh battery. Android 2.1 will be the OS of choice, but crucial details surrounding price and availability are sorely missing. Call us crazy, but we’ll actually be keeping an eye out for specifics on both.

Update: Well, what do you know? Seems as if this here device may in fact be a Compal NAZ-10 in disguise, and if this YouTube video is to be believed, it’ll boast 16 hours of HD video playback on a single charge and a $300 price tag. Can you say “tempting?” Thanks, Alain!

Aigo’s surprisingly sexy 7-inch N700 tablet packs Android 2.1 and Tegra 2 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 May 2010 03:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink ChiniTech  |  sourcePC Pop  | Email this | Comments