China

China to get iPhone 5, iPad Mini in December

It's official: China will move into the iPhone 5 and iPad Mini era next month.

Apple announced this morning that the Wi-Fi versions of the iPad Mini and the fourth-generation iPad will be available in China on Friday, December 7, and the iPhone 5 on Friday, December 14.

Consumers in China will be able to get all three gadgets through the Apple Online Store, via select Apple resellers, and by reservation from Apple retail stores.

China is of huge significance for Apple, already accounting for about 15 percent ($23.8 billion) of the company's revenue for its fiscal … Read more

iPhone 5 clears network hurdle on path to China launch

Apple's iPhone 5 is one step closer to launching in China.

The China Telecommunication Equipment Certification Center has approved the iPhone 5 for a "network access" license in the country. The license approval was discovered by The Wall Street Journal.

Apple is currently planning to launch the iPhone 5 on China Telecom and China Unicom networks. The company is reportedly hoping to bring the device to China Mobile, the country's largest carrier, but so far no deal has been announced.

Apple's approval comes about a month after another regulatory agency, China's State Radio Management, … Read more

iPad holds 71 percent of China's tablet market, report says

The iPad may be shedding market share globally but it's reportedly staying strong in China.

For the third quarter of this year, Apple grabbed 71.4 percent of the Chinese tablet market. That was down a percentage point from the second quarter, but still far ahead of Lenovo with a 10.5 percent share, Reuters said, citing a report from research firm Analysys International.

In third place among tablet makers was Chinese company Ereneben with a 3.6 percent cut of the market, trailed closely by Samsung with a 3.5 percent share.

Overall, China's tablet market climbed … Read more

Chinese news site falls for Kim Jong-un 'sexiest man alive' tale

Sexy is in the eye of the beholder. The beholder of the whip, that is.

Many Western news sites couldn't contain their titters after they heard that China's official Communist mouthguard -- the People's Daily -- announced that North Korea's cherubic-faced youth, Kim Jong-un, had been voted "The Sexiest Man Alive."

No, he wasn't voted by the People's Daily. This wasn't even People magazine. It was that sensitive publication dedicated to the human image, the Onion.

As the Associated Press pictured it, the People's Daily decided to honor this momentous … Read more

Samsung accused of labor violations by watchdog group

Samsung is up against a slew of labor abuse accusations in China, according to a report from China Labor Watch.

An investigation conducted by the watchdog group in October and November uncovered worker violations at several factories, those owned directly by Samsung as well as by its suppliers.

The report is in contrast to the one that Samsung itself released this week. Samsung's own internal audit of suppliers found no child labor violations, a key concern among watchdog groups and Samsung itself. However, Samsung's own audit did discover other issues at supplier factories in China, including overtime hours … Read more

Samsung finds no child labor, promises fixes to supply chain

Samsung has released the results of a four-week audit of 105 suppliers involved in the production of its devices across China.

According to the company, the Samsung audit team was comprised of 121 employees tasked with ensuring that the company's suppliers were compliant with local laws and its own regulations. The company's auditors found no instances of child labor -- a major concern of watchdogs -- but did discover instances where rules and regulations were violated.

"The audit identified several instances of inadequate practices at the facilities, including overtime hours in excess of local regulations, management of … Read more

Developer reaffirms plan to finish world's tallest building in 90 days

A 220-story Sky City tower in the Chinese city of Changsha could take the crown as the world's tallest skyscraper next March with an astounding height of 2,749 feet, edging out the mega Burj Khalifa that currently stands 2,722 feet over Dubai.

What makes the 11-million-square-foot Sky City so astonishing isn't its height or its appearance but rather the three-month construction plan to create the building that kicks off at the end of the year. Broad Group -- the company responsible for assembling the skyscraper -- plans to achieve these insane building speeds by using 95 percent prefabricated modular pieces that are sort of similar to a giant Lego set to construct the building. … Read more

China cyber-espionage threatens U.S., advisory group warns

Congress needs to take action to deflect the growing threat of Chinese cyber-espionage against the U.S., a U.S. commission recommends in a new report.

Released today, the 500-page annual report to Congress by the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission details various security issues concerning China. But the commission expressed particular fear over the country's ongoing cyberwarfare efforts.

Calling China the "most threatening actor in cyberspace," the report found that in 2012, Chinese state-sponsored hackers continued to target computers systems run by the U.S. government and military as well those maintained in … Read more

Apple appeals Chinese ruling over encyclopedia infringement

Apple has filed an appeal after a Chinese court ruled that the company is responsible for an app that contained pirated material.

The tech giant lost a case brought to court by China Publishing House, which claimed that Apple infringed copyright protection by allowing the sale of an app containing large sections of "Encyclopedia of China" without the publishing house's consent.

The iPhone and iPad-compatible app can be downloaded from Apple's App Store.

In September, a Chinese court ordered Apple to pay compensation of 520,000 yuan, which is roughly $83,000.

First reported by the … Read more