In The News

The Mouse That Roared

September 6, 2007
Computer networks could become new battlegrounds for countries that don’t trust one another. Governments, businesses, universities, public utilities rely on computer systems for organization, information, research and trade. Advanced economies rely on the internet, and security specialists constantly look out for thefts, spy operations or disruptions. The UK, the US, Estonia, China, Germany have...

China's New Revolutionaries: US Consumers

Nathan Gardels August 24, 2007
China’s communist form of government is secure as long as the economy grows, steadily supplying jobs and opportunity. Multinational firms set up shop in China, pressuring factories and workers to deliver products quickly at low costs. But a string of problems – including counterfeit medicines, poisonous pet food, dangerous tires, toothpaste laced with anti-freeze and children’s toys covered in...

Africa Struggles to Get on the Internet

Ron Nixon August 6, 2007
Four years ago, the firm Terracom signed a contract with the Rwandan government to provide 300 schools with internet access. Rwandan officials had planned on equipping schools with the internet as a way to modernize the rural economy. But as of mid-July, only one third of the schools had been connected. That rate is better than that for Africa as a whole, with only 4 percent of the continent...

Chinese Media Star Gives Starbucks a Jolt

Mitchell Landsberg July 19, 2007
When Starbucks coffee shop opened in the Forbidden City seven years ago, China was striving to join the international economic community. Now, the country’s citizens are divided about adopting international trends versus preserving cultural and historical heritage. Rui Chenggang, a television anchor, wrote a blog entry protesting a Starbucks in the Forbidden City, claiming that it “trampled over...

Changes in Innovation Ecology

William A. Wulf July 19, 2007
Innovation flourishes in settings that promote curiosity, respect and vision. Education, research, science, investment and good-government practices contribute to innovation. But societies must also introduce, apply and distribute the best ideas – and the infrastructure in the US that produced so much innovation during the 20th century is now broken, warns William Wulf, president of the National...

Text Messages Giving Voice to Chinese

Edward Cody July 10, 2007
Zhao Yufen, a scientist at Xiamen University, organized a petition protesting the construction of a chemical factory and expressing concern about potential accidents, health risks and environmental damage. Local officials supported the factory, which could potentially double the city's gross domestic product, so national officials ignored the petition. Then a blog published Zhao's...

The Life of the Chinese Gold Farmer

Julian Dibbell July 4, 2007
World of Warcraft, produced by Blizzard Entertainment, is one of the most profitable massively-multiplayer-online (MMO) games in history. Players collect currency to buy weapons and other gear to fight monsters, by looting or selling items to other players. At a normal playing rate, the process of collecting currency, known as “the grind,” takes about four months to complete. However, Chinese...