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Zoom waffles on the fate of US-based Chinese activist’s account
Zoom reactivates the account of a US-based Chinese activist that it closed after the account hosted a memorial for the Tiananmen Square Massacre.
Activist @Deray Mckesson is running for mayor of Baltimore
In yet another sign of social media's growing impact on the world, one of the most well-known figures of the #BlackLivesMatter movement is running for political office. Deray Mckesson (@Deray) filed just ahead of tonight's deadline to join the Democratic primary for Baltimore's mayoral race. According to the Baltimore Sun, there are 28 people currently registered to run including 13 Democrats, with a deadline of Friday to withdraw from consideration. Former mayor Sheila Dixon is reportedly leading the crowded field, and it remains to be seen how far the combination of activism and significant Twitter/Instagram following can take a political outsider in the race.
Apple, China groups meet to discuss environmental concerns
Environmental concerns continue to plague Apple and its suppliers in China. Earlier this year, Apple was singled out in an environmental report called "The Other Side of Apple," which detailed health, environment and safety issues at Chinese manufacturing facilities. Apple met with some of its green critics over the summer, but its practices are still under fire. Apple reportedly met this week again with nine representatives from five Chinese environmental groups to discuss pollution from its suppliers. Apple supposedly admitted that some of its suppliers were accused of excessive pollution, but put the blame on the offending companies and not Apple itself. According to Li Li, the director of EnviroFriends, Apple said "it had already spoken to 11 supply firms and asked them to reform, and they're in the process of initiating communications with the other four." Despite this effort, Li believed Apple was not sincere in its efforts to curb pollution. Not everyone was negative towards Apple's response, though. Notable Chinese environmentalist Ma Jun said Apple's efforts were "a major step forward." Apple has not commented on this latest meeting, but did issue a statement to the Wall Street Journal through Spokesperson Carolyn Wu. Apple reiterated what it has said in the past, "Apple is committed to driving the highest standards of social responsibility throughout our supply chain. We require that our suppliers provide safe working conditions, treat workers with dignity and respect, and use environmentally responsible manufacturing processes wherever Apple products are made."
America's 'panic button' to wipe phones of democracy activists, perturb repressive governments
So, here's the scene. You're out at [insert city center here], completely neglecting any and all work duties, throwing Molotov cocktails at the building of the State you've grown to hate. It's a protest in every sense of the word, and you're rallying the troops via Twitter and Facebook. It's actually not an uncommon painting these days, and while America's not into promoting violence, it is into keeping the personal information of democracy activists secure. According to a fresh Reuters report, the US State Department is currently developing a software-based "panic button" that would wipe a phone's address book and beam out emergency alerts to fellow protesters if they were apprehended. The goal here is to protect the privacy of those captured while promoting their best interests, and to let others know that trouble is brewing. There's no clear indication of the status here, but something tells us that it'd be useful yesterday for a certain region of the globe.
Cruelty-free web gaming with PETA's Super Chick Sisters
"Colonel Sanders and his minions have kidnapped Pamela Anderson for revealing to the world that KFC's secret recipe is cruelty to chickens." So begins PETA's trippy Super Chick Sisters, a web-based Flash platformer that pushes allegations of mistreated chickens as you play.Vegetarians will like the game for its message, but gamers will like the surprisingly decent controls and level design in this quick, five-level game. They'll also appreciate infringement-tastic cut scenes featuring Mario and Luigi sidelined with Wii-related injuries and beat up by People for the Ethical Treatment of Turtles. Oh, and did we mention the final boss: A robotic spider Colonel Sanders wearing a Bowser mask? Spoiler alert!
