Wednesday, 9 October 2013

China's Internet Army Could Have as Many as Two Million Censors


China's internet is not exactly famous for its freedom, but it takes a lot of effort to keep it tied down. Folks have done math to suggest there are thousands of government employees censoring China's Twitter-clone Weibo alone. Now the Beijing News is pegging that total at more like two million.

This Leaked Manual Lists Literally All the Nexus 5's Specs


Nexus nerds, we may have just hit the jackpot. Android Police just got its hands on what appears to be a leaked service manual for the as-yet-unreleased Nexus 5. If this is real, we now know everything about the Nexus 5. Every. Thing. OK, except price.

The FDA Isn't Inspecting Food During The Government Shutdown


E-coli outbreaks crop up every now and then. Some are more widespread then others, but if they're related to food and especially if that food may have crossed state lines, the FDA starts tracing to find the source. If foodborne bacteria cause an outbreak in the U.S. today, though, the FDA won't do anything. Because the FDA is closed.

A Wall Dock Ruled By Simplicity


There are a lot of wall chargers and docks out there for iOS devices. A lot. So many. But it's nice to see one that's simple, portable, flexible, and smartly designed. It's just sort of a relief. If you need this, here it is, and it's 10 bucks. Done.

More Steve Jobs Action Figures Are On Their Way


Ah the second anniversary of someone's death. The biography is a bestseller. The movie with Ashton Kutcher is out. The mourning process is on its natural course. But one more thing has to happen: new action figures. Sure, there may be a model from February, but that was then and this is now. Enter the "Steve Jobs 2nd Anniversary Tribute Action Figures."

The Social Media Hotels Keep On Coming


People have instagrammed and live tweeted from pretty much everywhere. The peak of a mountain, the birth of a baby, the toilet. Users don't seem to crave permission. But somehow the idea for a social media-themed hotel keeps coming up, and The New York Times notes that another one started in Majorca this summer.

What's Your First Tech Memory?


I watched The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air from a young age. I was so young that my hands weren't strong enough to turn the knobs of my parents' retro TV. I'm totally serious. I had to have someone turn on the TV and change the channel for me. And somehow there was never an adult who thought that I shouldn't be watching that show if I wasn't even strong enough to turn a knob. Explains a lot. Anyway, the point is that that was the first TV I ever knew. The tech I interacted with consisted of a Panasonic cassette player and that TV. What was sitting in your family's living room or your grandma's basement when you were little? Journey back to your earliest tech interactions and reminisce below.