China launches state-sponsored, Twitter-esque Red Microblog, Kanye West already has the most followers
December 16, 2010 No Comment
China has launched a state-sponsored micro-blogging site which is apparently identical to Twitter , except that it’s run by the Chinese government, of course. The brand new social network, named Red Microblog, is run by a local propaganda department in Chongqing and its purpose is to promote the official revolutionary spirit of the Chinese government. So far, the messages seem to be living up to that ideal: “I really like the words by Chairman Mao that ‘the world is ours; we should work together’,” microblogged Bo Xilai, a local party secretary. Of course, Red Microblog does has not yet suffered from the inevitable influx of celebrities with inane aphorisms to dish out, b-listers hawking diet scams, and of course — people talking about their lunches, the weather, and whether or not Tron is going to totally rule. Come to thing of it, Red Microblog sounds pretty awesome. For now. China launches state-sponsored, Twitter-esque Red Microblog, Kanye West already has the most followers originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Dec 2010 16:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Well, we here at Truthdig already think he’s the best, but it’s fantastic news that the Greater Los Angeles Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists has singled out veteran journalist, author and Truthdig editor in chief Robert Scheer as this year’s recipient of The Distinguished Work in New Media Award. This award from the SPJ/LA truly puts the “new” in new media, as it’s only been in existence for two years. Our heartiest congratulations to Scheer for his well-deserved honor, proving once again that his vision and voice have made their indelible mark, even in a medium that’s constantly changing.
Continue reading …McCain says he wants to see ‘an uprising’ of angry Tea Partiers against omnibus bill
December 16, 2010 No Comment
Click here to view this media John McCain went on Sean Hannity’s show last night to rail like an aging old crank again, this time against Republicans’ pet target of the week: the omnibus spending bill making its way through the lame-duck session of Congress. In the process, he seemed to be calling out the Tea Party troops to action: McCain: It’s a direct repudiation of the voters of last November 2, it is a direct insult, to stick their thumb right in their eye. I was on the phone with the Tea Partiers all over Arizona today. They are enraged. They are outraged. And I want to see an uprising all over this country. The same people that caused the victories, we’ve got to hold these people to account. He’s actually going to have to hope that none of his newfound Tea Partying friends — remember, they weren’t always so close, back when J.D. Hayworth was making him sweat — actually heed his call in the way some of them are likely to.
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A British judge released Julian Assange on conditional bail Thursday, freeing the WikiLeaks founder to direct operations of his secret-spilling website from a mansion in eastern England. (Dec. 16)
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Chumby isn’t just taking its platform to dedicated devices from other manufacturers, it’s also moving to software — a strategy that right out of Amazon’s playbook now that Kindle is available on just about every computer and handheld under the sun. The company’s new Android app simply connects to your Chumby account and lets you view and use the same Flash-based apps that you would on any other Chumby device, a testament to the fact that pretty much every Android handset hitting the market these days comes Flash-capable out of the box. Chumby says that the app works best for tablets and docked devices — which makes sense when you think of how you’d use a Sony Dash or Chumby One — and conveniently, you can set it to automatically show up as a screen saver whenever your phone is docked. Look for it in the Market right now for $4.99; follow the break for the full press release. Continue reading Chumby releases Android app, not quite as plush as the original Chumby releases Android app, not quite as plush as the original originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Dec 2010 15:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Police in Connecticut say they don’t believe apparently explosive devices discovered in a New Haven home were intended to be used for terrorism. The material was found after firefighters responded to reports of smoke. (Dec. 16)
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WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been released on bail following a week of legal drama over his extradition. (Dec. 16)
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Civilian casualties in Gaza spur IDF to begin placing officers trained in civilian needs on battlefields
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You probably already know this, but here at Engadget, we love our readers. And, whenever we get the chance, we love to give a little back. Today, we’re happy to have a brand new Computer Engineer Barbie to offer up to one random, lucky commenter. This Barbie has a new career and a new attitude to match it, and we think she’s pretty cool. All you’ll need to do to win her is to leave a comment below — after reading the rules, of course. Thanks to Mattel for providing us with the doll. The rules: Leave a comment below. Any comment will do. You may only enter this specific giveaway once. If you enter this giveaway more than once you’ll be automatically disqualified, etc. (Yes, we have robots that thoroughly check to ensure fairness.) If you enter more than once, only activate one comment. This is pretty self explanatory. Just be careful and you’ll be fine. Contest is open to all residents of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Canada (excluding Quebec), 18 or older! Sorry, we don’t make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad. Winners will be chosen randomly. Four winners will receive one Computer Engineer Barbie. If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of the end of the contest. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen. Entries can be submitted until Wednesday, December 22, 2010, at 11:59PM ET. Good luck! Full rules can be found here. Engadget giveaway: win a Computer Engineer Barbie! originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Dec 2010 14:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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The Nexus S, which runs the freshest version of Google’s Android operating software, Gingerbread, is one smart cookie. The AP’s Rachel Metz reports. (Dec. 16)
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