Forbidden country

It is one of the great ironies of China. May 1, marked worldwide by labour and socialist movements, should be a cause of celebration in the communist China. But it was not so on China’s popular website, Baidu. Ranked fifth most popular website in the world, above even Wikipedia, Baidu contains Google-like search features, discussion boards and a Wikipedia-style encyclopedia. One of its many functions is to allow users to start discussions around popular topics.

Biblophile On Web

IT'S a sign of times. A virtual medium that tells us about the printed world. Not something new. For years now, established publishing houses have put up information like book catalogues and forthcoming releases on their websites.

Wrist against risk

A hi-tech bracelet could soon be helping civil rights and aid workers at risk of being abducted or killed. When triggered, the personal alarm in the device uses phone technology to warn that its wearer is in danger. Warnings are sent in the form of messages to Facebook and Twitter.

Online Timeline

Microsoft’s gag order

A group of open-source advocates in Spain has accused Microsoft of making it difficult for users of Windows 8 to install alternatives. Hispalinux, an 8,000-member organisation that advocates for, and facilitates use of Linux in Spain, has filed a complaint with the European Commission’s Madrid office. Microsoft requires the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) Secure Boot to be installed on computers that run Windows 8.

Google bullies a lexicon

The word, ogooglebar, is used regularly in the Swedish language. It means “something that cannot be found on the Web using a search engine”, and was under consideration by the Language Council of Sweden for addition to the latest edition of the country’s official dictionary.

Science and Technology - Briefs

ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES Storm alert

In censor’s web

Iran’s Ministry of Information and Communications Technology has blocked the most popular software used by millions of Iranians to bypass an elaborate official Internet filtering system, stepping up a campaign to gain control over the way the Internet is used.

The Microsoft way

A favourite Bill Gates story is this. In 1998, the boss of Microsoft was talking to management students at the University of Washington to share his business philosophy. Here’s what he said then about piracy: “Although about three million computers get sold every year in China, people don’t pay for the software,” he said. “Someday they will, though.

Science and Technology - Briefs

ECOLOGY Heat is on