In The News

Don't Mention Democracy, Microsoft Tells China Web Users

Mure Dickie June 13, 2005
In order to steer clear of political censors, Microsoft has banned the use of certain words, among them "democracy" and "freedom," from its new Chinese internet portal. In accordance with central government regulations, Chinese MSN subscribers are restricted from labeling their web sites with words that might be seen as critical of China's Communist leadership. Working...

The World in the iPod

Andrew Leonard June 8, 2005
The iPod, one of Apple's most successful products is not "made" by Apple at all. Apple designed the product, but the components are assembled in China by two Taiwanese firms. This Salon.com article takes a broad view of PortalPlayer, the company that developed the essential iPod microchip, examining the pattern of globalization and outsourcing in the technology industry. The...

A Revolution in American Nuclear Policy

Jonathan Schell May 27, 2005
In this editorial, Jonathan Schell calls attention to "a revolution in US nuclear policy" – a revolution that was virtually ignored by the media. For the first time, the US president has the capability to launch a pinpoint nuclear strike anywhere in the world within a few hours. Why has President Bush sought a nuclear program that is sure to encourage proliferation elsewhere? In...

China Goes Undercover to Sway Opinion on the Internet

May 23, 2005
China's communist regime is strengthening its efforts to control public opinion. In addition to filtering political information that reaches the public, city governments in at least three provinces have recruited cyber-agents to promote the government's policies on online message boards or chatrooms when negative comments appear in those forums. While recruited commentators stress the...

Hacker Hunters

Brian Grow May 20, 2005
Computer technology and the interconnectivity of cyberspace have opened multiple avenues for global networking, while producing the underside of this phenomenon: a new wave of organized cybercrime. Criminals the world over are exploiting the ties of the internet to steal identities, forge documents, launder money, and sell stolen goods. As BusinessWeek reports, US and other governmental...

Arab Satellite Television and Democracy in the Arab World

S. Abdallah Schleifer May 13, 2005
The history of televised news in the Middle East is a checkered yet fascinating one, writes S. Abdallah Schleifer of the Foreign Policy Research Institute. Early news broadcasts relied upon a simple regurgitation of state activity – presidents giving prepared speeches, inaugurating some new public work, or returning from a trip abroad – providing little analysis or variety. Stock footage paired...

The Blurring Digital Divide

Patricia Yim April 28, 2005
Contrary to widespread commentary about a growing gap in IT capabilities between the developed and the developing world, many poorer nations are making great leaps in technology. The author, managing director for IBM Singapore, writes that IT skills are just as transferrable as any other intellectual asset, especially since recent years have seen the physical cost of digital technology decline...