http://www.cnet.com/8300-13908_1-59.html Sinobyte en-us Graham Webster follows the effects of technology on Chinese politics, the environment, and global affairs. 2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved Fri, 19 Dec 2008 09:54:00 PST Leaving Sinobyte http://www.cnet.com/8301-13908_1-10127099-59.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=Sinobyte:Chinaandtechnology After almost a year covering China's internet and technological scene for the CNET Blog Network here at Sinobyte, it's time for me to say goodbye.

I'm not leaving because lost interest in the topic or in blogging, but rather because my circumstances have changed. My new life ...

]]> http://www.cnet.com/8301-13908_1-10127099-59.html Fri, 19 Dec 2008 09:54:00 PST Graham Webster Beijing Net cafes to take mug shots, scan IDs http://www.cnet.com/8301-13908_1-10069775-59.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=Sinobyte:Chinaandtechnology In a purported effort to cut down on "ID sharing" in Beijing's Internet cafes, the government will require that by the end of 2008, first-time visitors will have their picture taken and ID scanned before being allowed online, according to The Beijing News and the China Media Project.

Users ...

]]> http://www.cnet.com/8301-13908_1-10069775-59.html Sun, 19 Oct 2008 12:12:00 PDT Graham Webster Coming in 2009: Yourname@somewhere.中国 http://www.cnet.com/8301-13908_1-10068081-59.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=Sinobyte:Chinaandtechnology The era of online domination by the Roman alphabet will come one step closer to its end next year when a new top-level domain for China, .中国, is deployed. Xinhua reports that ICANN expects the domain, which uses the two-character modern Chinese word for "China," will be ready in ...

]]> http://www.cnet.com/8301-13908_1-10068081-59.html Thu, 16 Oct 2008 11:50:00 PDT Graham Webster The court of bus riders: Why it's faster than driving in Shanghai http://www.cnet.com/8301-13908_1-10065298-59.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=Sinobyte:Chinaandtechnology Shanghai blogger Wang Jianshuo points out a less-than-expected reason why riding the bus is faster than driving on his commute: ad hoc protest against traffic enforcement:

Bus drivers don't follow the traffic rule as strictly as other car drivers. They just drive wildly, and policemen tend not to care
...

]]> http://www.cnet.com/8301-13908_1-10065298-59.html Tue, 14 Oct 2008 06:20:00 PDT Graham Webster MIT: Dirty coal to blame for China pollution http://www.cnet.com/8301-13908_1-10064031-59.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=Sinobyte:Chinaandtechnology

In a rare independent study of China's energy sector, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have found that the problem with China's coal power generation is not that its power plants lack cleaner technology.

The emissions are definitely higher than they ...

]]> http://www.cnet.com/8301-13908_1-10064031-59.html Sun, 12 Oct 2008 13:23:00 PDT Graham Webster Will Beijing's sustained driving restrictions maintain clear skies? http://www.cnet.com/8301-13908_1-10060285-59.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=Sinobyte:Chinaandtechnology Much has been made of Beijing's decision to keep a lighter version of its Olympics traffic restrictions, not least because whatever the city did to clean the air seemed to have worked in August. But the renewed measures are weaker and the probable effect is unclear.

Alex Pasternack at ...

]]> http://www.cnet.com/8301-13908_1-10060285-59.html Tue, 07 Oct 2008 13:34:00 PDT Graham Webster Skype's Chinese version left the surveillance door wide open http://www.cnet.com/8301-13908_1-10058825-59.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=Sinobyte:Chinaandtechnology Security researchers recently found that IM conversations on the Chinese Skype program were not only filtered, but also recorded on a massive, nonsecure, server. The possibility of surveillance flies in the face of Skype's supposed strong encryption, and has provoked outcry among privacy advocates.

Users of the TOM-Skype platform, ...

]]> http://www.cnet.com/8301-13908_1-10058825-59.html Mon, 06 Oct 2008 09:35:00 PDT Graham Webster Man in China fined $277 for porn on drive, then forgiven http://www.cnet.com/8301-13908_1-10053869-59.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=Sinobyte:Chinaandtechnology [UPDATE: I wrote the below before seeing an update on Danwei noting that the fine was canceled. This only underlines the power of online controversy, especially considering that the cancelation notice says the man was still guilty: they are merely using discretion in this case.]

Police officers who said they ...

]]> http://www.cnet.com/8301-13908_1-10053869-59.html Mon, 29 Sep 2008 15:29:00 PDT Graham Webster Reports: TypePad unblocked in China http://www.cnet.com/8301-13908_1-10043128-59.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=Sinobyte:Chinaandtechnology Various TypePad-hosted bloggers are rejoicing as their blogs become visible again in China.

As with any such event, we're not sure how long this will last, and we're not sure why it happened. Tim Johnson, a McClatchy Newspapers correspondent based in China, writes:

I'm celebrating, of sorts. ...

]]> http://www.cnet.com/8301-13908_1-10043128-59.html Tue, 16 Sep 2008 13:00:00 PDT Graham Webster Chinese social networks block Baidu indexing http://www.cnet.com/8301-13908_1-10041309-59.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=Sinobyte:Chinaandtechnology User privacy concerns on Chinese social-networking sites have led the biggest players to block indexing by Baidu, China's leading search engine, according to Beijing-based Marbridge Consulting.

The blogging site of Sohu.com, China's leading portal, as well as social networking sites including 51.com, Xiaonei, and Hainei have ...

]]> http://www.cnet.com/8301-13908_1-10041309-59.html Sun, 14 Sep 2008 20:28:00 PDT Graham Webster