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Blizzard bans 'Hearthstone' pro for Hong Kong protest support
The esports world is finding itself embroiled in a political dispute. Blizzard has banned pro Hearthstone player Ng Wai Chung (aka Blitzchung) for a year after he voiced support for Hong Kong protesters in a post-match interview. The statement allegedly violated rules forbidding players from saying something that "offends a portion or group of the public" or "otherwise damages" Blizzard's image. The developer is also kicking Chung out of the Grandmasters, eliminating his winnings from the tournament and halting work with the casters who conducted the interview despite their attempts to distance themselves from the statement.
Reuters: New Telegram feature will protect HK protesters' identities
Telegram will roll out an update designed to protect Hong Kong protesters' identities in the coming days, according to Reuters. The upcoming feature will cloak users' phone numbers to prevent authorities from being able to look up the people participating in protesters' group chats. Telegram's security-focused features made it the go-to chat application for activists around the world. Hong Kong protesters are using it to share information on where they're holding demonstrations, to pass around the access codes of buildings where they can hide and to make sure fellow activists know the identities of undercover cops.
YouTube pulls hundreds of channels tied to Hong Kong influence campaign
On Monday, both Twitter and Facebook announced they'd blocked accounts from China that were involved in disinformation attempts around protests in Hong Kong. Now YouTube revealed it has disabled 210 channels this week that "behaved in a coordinated manner while uploading videos related to the ongoing protests in Hong Kong." Google Security's Shane Huntley did not identify a source for the channels in the post, but said this discovery was "consistent" with Facebook and Twitter's actions related to China. YouTube told Reuters that unlike Twitter, it does not have any plan to change advertising policies for state-controlled media outlets, however it will soon expand labeling of state sponsored outlets to the region. Also unlike Twitter, it did not release any notes about the accounts or the contents of their posts, so we'll just have to speculate about what those channels looked like.
Facebook pulls propaganda accounts demonizing Hong Kong protesters
It's not just Twitter cracking down on attempts to undermine Hong Kong protesters through social networks. Facebook has pulled seven Pages, five accounts and three Groups allegedly involved in "coordinated inauthentic behavior" meant to blast Hong Kong demonstrators, including the use of fake accounts The move came after Twitter shared info of suspicious activity, prompting an investigation. The perpetrators routinely made dubious claims about street marchers, likening them to terrorists and even "cockroaches."
Twitter bans advertising from state-controlled news outlets
Twitter announced today that it will no longer accept advertising from state-controlled news outlets. Those accounts will still be able to use the platform, but not its advertising. The change comes after China's state-backed media outlet Xinhua sponsored ads attacking Hong Kong protestors.
Twitter is displaying China-made ads attacking Hong Kong protesters
Twitter is finding itself at the heart of a heated political battle. Pinboard and other users have observed Twitter running ads from China's state-backed media outlet Xinhua attacking the Hong Kong protesters opposed to both a (since-suspended) extradition bill and broader dissatisfaction with the government. The ads try to portray the protests as "escalating violence" and calls for "order to be restored." Other ads have highlighted alleged supporters of the Chinese "motherland" and have pointed out Hong Kong's economic troubles from earlier in the year.
Apple taps renowned artists for AR art walks
Apple has been pushing its way into the world of augmented reality for years. Now, it wants to get more users involved. Working with artists like Nick Cave, an American fabric sculptor and performance artist, Apple has installed AR art in public spaces in San Francisco, New York, London, Paris, Hong Kong and Tokyo. Users in those cities can sign up for a free Today at Apple experience called [AR]T. It involves an interactive walk to tour the AR installations, an in-store session that teaches the basics of creating AR using Swift Playgrounds and an AR installation in the store.
Tesla rolls out Model S and X battery software update after Hong Kong fire
Tesla has responded to reports about a Model S bursting in flames in Hong Kong by rolling out a software update to beef up its vehicles' battery life and safety. The incident happened three weeks after a video of a parked Model S exploding in Shanghai made its way around Chinese social media. While the automaker is still investigating the incident and continues to maintain that its vehicles "are 10 times less likely to experience a fire than a gas car," it says it released the update out of "an abundance of caution." The update has already started landing on Model S and X vehicles -- it doesn't sound like it'll be available for Model 3 sedans.
Apple recalls older three-prong AC power adapters
Apple is recalling a batch of three-prong AC wall plug adapters. The company is aware of six incidents worldwide in which the adapters broke, creating a risk of electrical shock. As a precaution, Apple is allowing customers to exchange the potentially faulty plugs for a new version. It's not clear, though, just how many devices that could be.
Samsung has postponed Galaxy Fold launch events in China
The $2,000 Galaxy Fold is already off to a bumpy start no thanks to some broken review units (ours is fine, by the way), and though the April 26th launch in the US remains unaffected, folks on the other side of the world aren't as lucky. Over the weekend, Samsung announced that it has postponed the press events in Hong Kong and Shanghai, which were originally scheduled for April 23rd and 24th i.e. this coming Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively.
Hong Kong is testing high-tech monitoring systems for 'smart' prisons
Prisons in Hong Kong are testing a variety of high-tech services that will allow correctional facilities to better track inmates, according to the South China Morning Post. The city's Commissioner of Correctional Services, Danny Woo Ying-min, claimed the new services will be used to monitor for abnormal behavior among the incarcerated, prevent self-harm, and operate the prisons more efficiently.
Inventor builds super creepy 'Scarlett Johansson' robot
Ricky Ma, an inventor and maker, has spent the last year and a half building a robotic starlet from scratch on the balcony of his Hong Kong apartment. He recently unveiled the Mark I, a $50,000 prototype modeled after... well, he wouldn't specify to Reuters but come on, that's obviously Scarlett Johansson. The robot is comprised of a 3D-printed skeleton supporting the various electronic and mechanical bits with everything wrapped in a pliable silicone skin.
Hugo Barra on why Xiaomi is against microSD cards in phones
If you were to compare iOS and Android, the latter's storage expansion option via microSD -- up to a whopping 200GB these days -- is often regarded as an advantage, though not all devices come with such offer. For instance, while HTC and LG have made the microSD slot a standard feature on their recent flagship devices, Samsung oddly decided to remove it from its Galaxy S6 series (ironically, the company has just announced new microSD cards). Xiaomi, on the other hand, seems to be on the fence: its flagship line has long ditched the microSD slot after its first-gen device, yet its affordable Redmi line uses said feature as a selling point. It's as if Xiaomi is contradicting itself, but Hugo Barra, the company's Vice President of International, gave us a more definitive answer after launching the Mi 4i in Hong Kong.
This guy tried to smuggle 94 iPhones using only his body
It's one thing to try to sneak a single prohibited item past customs when traveling -- don't do it, obviously, ever -- but it's another to try to get away with smuggling an entire Apple Store's worth of iPhones into a country using only your body. That's what officials at China's Futian Port discovered when they turned their attention to a man who had just arrived from Hong Kong, and was behaving strangely. The poor fellow apparently couldn't walk correctly, and appeared to be in some sort of distress. When officials scanned him they immediately saw the problem: iPhone body armor. When they asked him to remove his sweatshirt they discovered he was wearing dozens of iPhones around his abdomen, strapped to his thighs, and taped all the way down his legs. Hong Kong is well known as a hub for black market electronics, and had the man been able to successfully get all 94 iPhones into China their sale would have produced a nice chunk of change. [Photos via Sina]
Hong Kong's pro-democracy protests spur growth for secure messaging apps
Social media and civil unrest have long gone hand-in-hand, from coordinating revolution during the Arab Spring to repressing corruption in Turkey. Amid pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, locals have taken to the location-based messaging app FireChat to communicate with each other. 100,000 local users signed into the off-the-grid messaging app for the first time last weekend after a student activist recommended the app for communication should authorities switch off cellular networks. The app creates a mesh network between nearby users using WiFi, cellular data, or Bluetooth, allowing them to communicate with people even when strict firewalls are in place. For now, it looks as though we're a long way away from the heavy-handed tactics of other governments, but FireChat's sudden popularity shows locals are keen to stay one step ahead when it comes to communication.
PS4 to launch in Hong Kong on December 17
The PlayStation 4 will launch in Hong Kong on December 17 for 3380 HK dollars ($463), Sony announced this week. The set including the PlayStation 4 Eye will go for 3680 HK dollars ($474), and Killzone: Shadow Fall enthusiasts will be able to pick up a camera-less bundle at launch for 3780 HK dollars ($488). Sony's event aligns with their previous announcement that the PS4 will reach South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong before Japan's February 22 launch date. Other than the Killzone bundle, details concerning the Hong Kong PS4's launch lineup have yet to be provided.
iPhones sold in Hong Kong won't get China warranty
Cyrus Lee at ZDNet reports that iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s units bought in Hong Kong will not be supported by the Apple warranty for China. It seems that the iPhone 5s model numbers for devices sold in Hong Kong are different than the model numbers sold in the rest of China, as are the iPhone 5c model numbers. The prices in Hong Kong are lower than the prices in China, so Lee expects this potential service and warranty problem will not affect where Chinese consumers purchase their new iPhones. This information came through an employee at a Shanghai Apple store and the original source is a NetEase report written in Chinese, a beat covered by Lee. He also writes that the gold iPhone 5s is popular with Chinese consumers, but availability is limited. [via ZDnet]
PS4 hits South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan before Japan
The PlayStation 4 launches in South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan in December, MCV reports from the Tokyo Game Show. Japan gets the PS4 on February 22, 2014, Sony announced during its September 9 livestream. It'll cost ¥39,980 ($401) without the PS Eye, or ¥43,980 ($442) with the camera. Sony didn't provide prices or specific launch dates for the other Asian areas. PS4 hits North America on November 15 and Europe on November 29.
Daily Update for May 21, 2013
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
Chinese activists complain of Apple Store light pollution
Environmental activist group, Friends of the Earth HK, claims Apple's Causeway flagship store in Hong Kong is a major contributor to light pollution in the area. Apple reportedly runs about 500 lamps and spotlights over night, and the light spills outside of the store into the Hong Kong streets. According to a report in M.I.C. Gadget, Friends of the Earth HK says light from the store can be seen as far as 700 meters away. Hong Kong is known for its colorful and illuminated skyline, but all these lights may be having a negative effect on residents. A recent study suggests that parts of Hong Kong have light levels that are 1,200 times higher than international standards. This nighttime brightness is affecting the sleep patterns of residents who can't escape the blinking neon. A government task force is looking at ways of curbing light pollution from restaurants, retail outlets and other buildings in the area. Though Apple isn't being targeted by the government, M.I.C. Gadget claims the council has received several complaints about the amount of light pouring out of Apple's retail stores at night.