China

Chinese daily fooled by spoof that Win 8 glitch forced missile test delay

Over the years, Windows users have shared plenty of war stories about their computers suddenly freezing up, forcing them to shut down and then reboot their machines at the worst possible times. But declaring war on Microsoft? Even in the wildest realms of hyperbole, that's cuckoo talk.

But not so crazy if we're talking about 21st Century Business, the Guangdong, China-based publication which fell hook, line, and sinker for a spoof column authored by New Yorker humorist Andy Borowitz. The Thursday edition of the Borowitz Report reported that North Korea's military had scrapped a planned missile test … Read more

Microsoft Surface dissed in China over warranty policy

First Apple, now Microsoft. China is again raising a ruckus over warranty policies on U.S. tech products, this time targeting the Surface tablet.

China National Radio, the government's mouthpiece, argued yesterday that the Surface tablet should follow national law by offering a one-year repair policy for the entire tablet and a two-year warranty for its major parts, Bloomberg reported. China National Radio claims that Microsoft offers a one-year warranty in China both on the device and its components.

Microsoft, however, contends that Surface is covered by a two-year warranty. A spokeswoman for the company sent CNET the following … Read more

Apple bans Chinese bookstore app over 'illegal content'

Apple's iTunes Store in China has kicked out an iOS app that offered electronic versions of books banned by the Chinese government.

Hao Peiqiang, the developer of the bookstore app, yesterday posted a letter that he received from Apple informing him that the app would be removed, because "it includes content that is illegal in China."

Apple's letter explained that while the app is no longer available in China, it can still be downloaded from the iTunes store in other countries.

Apple's form e-mail didn't specify which content was illegal. Known as "Jingdian … Read more

Nokia shutters its flagship China store

Nokia has closed its flagship store in China, once touted as its largest worldwide.

Nokia told ZDNet that the Shanghai store, which opened in 2007, shut down at the end of March. CNET also confirmed the closure.

"For a while now, Nokia has been focusing on growing its presence in operator and third-party retail outlets, rather than through our own physical stores," according to a company representative. "We are, of course, also continuously beefing up our online presence."

Nokia is shuttering the store even as it presses further to regain lost ground in China, considered one … Read more

Apple's mea culpa works wonders in China

Apple CEO Tim Cook's apology to China over his company's warranty apology seems to have succeeded in reducing tension with the Chinese government.

Global Times, a state-run media outlet in China, today wrote that Apple's "apology letter has eased the situation, softening the tense relationship between Apple and the Chinese market," according to Reuters, which was first to report on the statement. The Global Times also said that Apple's apology was "worth respect."

Tim Cook yesterday issued an apology, saying his company was sorry for the lack of communication on its warranty … Read more

Apple CEO apologizes to China over warranties, offers fixes

Following weeks of scrutiny over its warranty policies in China, Apple now says it has improved services in the region.

That message came from the top, in an apology note from Apple CEO Tim Cook, posted in Chinese on Apple's Chinese site today.

In it, Cook apologized for a lack of communication on the matter, and said that the company is implementing improvements in three areas of its warranty policy and related services.

Those changes:

A new repair policy for the iPhone 4 and 4S that provides a new phone exchange or new parts replacement for a year after … Read more

Chinese animation studio sues Apple over iTunes Store sales

A Chinese animation film studio has sued Apple for allegedly selling its movies in its iTunes store without permission.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, citing a report from the South China Morning Post, Shanghai Animation Film Studio, which is backed by the Chinese government, has sued Apple for more than $500,000. The company argues that Apple sold over 110 of its movies, including "Calabash Brothers" and "Black Cat Detective," in the iTunes store without permission.

Apple has faced its fair share of troubles in China. The company last year was forced to pay $60 million to settle a lawsuit with Proview … Read more

Chinese regulator calls for tighter oversight of Apple

A Chinese marketplace watchdog is calling for tighter supervision of Apple's consumer-rights practices as the state-controlled media continued its assault on the iPhone maker's after-sale policies.

The State Administration for Industry and Commerce issued a notice today that urged authorities to increase supervision of Apple's warranty policies, according to a report on China National Radio's Web site.

"Local authorities should investigate and punish illegal acts according to law," the notice said, according to state media reports.

The wave of criticism against the iPhone maker began earlier this month during a TV segment on state-run network China Central Television Station … Read more

U.S. law eyes government purchases of Chinese IT equipment

The U.S. government has decided that its agencies cannot buy IT equipment from overseas sources -- specifically China -- without approval from federal law enforcement.

The provision was tucked into a funding law signed this week by President Obama. The law requires that all federal agencies looking to buy IT equipment from companies overseas must undertake a formal "cyberespionage or sabotage" risk analysis with federal law enforcement. Once law-enforcement officials sign off, the purchase can be made.

The provision underscores the increasing concerns the U.S. appears to have with China. The assessment, in fact, must include &… Read more