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Bahrain's rulers cast net for loyalty oaths online (AP) : Technet |
- Bahrain's rulers cast net for loyalty oaths online (AP)
- 4 Apps for Getting More Done This Weekend (Mashable)
- US lawmakers plan 'Do Not Track' bills (AFP)
- Sony may offer reward for PSN hackers' heads (Digital Trends)
- My $15 a Month Android Data Plan (ContributorNetwork)
- Flipboard iPad App Doubles Users, Triples Traffic In Two Months (PC World)
- Will a Multitude of App Stores Hurt Android? (PC World)
- More than just T-shirts, Threadless now offering chance to create iPhone cases (Appolicious)
- US government officially recognizes video games as art (Digital Trends)
- Images Show Violent Exchange at Apple's Beijing Store During iPad 2 Launch (PC World)
| Bahrain's rulers cast net for loyalty oaths online (AP) Posted: 07 May 2011 04:17 AM PDT DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – While Bahrain's justice minister was making the latest accusations against alleged enemies of the state — this time medical staff — other officials were busy organizing a patriotic blitz that encourages pledges of loyalty on Facebook and Twitter. These are the parallel worlds of one of Washington's linchpin military allies in the Gulf. On one side is a grinding campaign to break the spirits of Shiite-led opponents whose pro-reform uprising was smothered by martial law. On the other: An expanding PR offensive to portray the Sunni monarchy as firmly in charge, and Bahrain as a firewall against Iranian influence in the nation that hosts the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet. Bahrain's current spin — shifting from state media to the web — could appear as just more boosterism in a region where rulers are constantly bathed in state-sponsored praise. But there is a distinct undercurrent in the island kingdom: pumping up its own rhetoric to match Iran's increasing barrage of criticism. It serves as further recognition that Bahrain's crisis doubles as a window into the region's collective phobias — the mutual mistrust of Sunni Arab leaders and Shiite powerhouse Iran — as America effectively watches from the sidelines. "So many of the Gulf's big issues are squeezed into this one tiny country," said Shadi Hamid, director of research at The Brookings Doha Center in Qatar. Iran has relentlessly assailed Bahrain's rulers for crackdowns against the country's Shiite majority, which comprises 70 percent of the population but is denied key roles in government or security affairs. Tehran's statements took on an even harder edge after Bahrain's monarchy declared military rule and was aided in March by a Gulf force dominated by Iran's regional rival, Saudi Arabia. The Gulf Arab sheiks and monarchs view Bahrain as a domino that cannot fall. Any gains by Bahrain's Shiites, in their minds, equates to a potential opening for greater Iranian footholds on Saudi Arabia's doorstep. And Gulf leaders have set aside their traditional opaque and meandering political discourses to make their point, warning Iran to stop "meddling." Last week in Abu Dhabi, Gulf interior ministers called Iran "provocative and irresponsible" after a senior military commander said the Gulf has always belonged to Iran. On Thursday, Bahrain's chamber of commerce urged traders to shed Iranian investments and start a buy-Bahrain drive. "This patriotic duty is dictated by our conscience, allegiance to the leadership and loyalty to Bahrain,' the group said. Such sound bites are becoming part of the new Gulf phrase book as rulers try to portray confidence during increasingly uncertain times. Bahrain's propaganda machine is revving the fastest by necessity. The uprising that began in February has left at least 30 people dead and carved up the tiny country along Sunni and Shiite lines — with divisions seeming to deepen as authorities shift into an us-or-them mode. Just moments after a closed-door security court issued four death sentences on April 28 for the slayings of two policemen, state authorities sent journalists the web links to two government-produced videos on the case that were posted on YouTube. The attackers were described as "traitors" and "beasts without any mercy," with no mention of the harsh measures used by security forces, including firing on crowds and widespread arrests. The U.N.'s top rights official, Navi Pillay, Thursday called for an independent probe into violence by Bahraini police and military against protests. But authorities are moving in a different direction, encouraging their backers to show support for their rule and actions. So-called "loyalty books" have been placed around the country for signatures and comments. This week, a separate online campaign was launched called "We Are All Hamad" — a reference to Bahrain's king Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. It asks people to add portraits of the king on their social media pages and post messages on Facebook, Twitter and other sites to prove Bahrainis are "united in love and loyalty to their nation and its wise leadership." Maysa Yussef, a supporter quoted by the state-run Bahrain News Agency, claimed more than 10,000 people had already posted photos of King Hamad before the start of the weeklong campaign, which ends Monday. It's impossible to verify any figures on the campaign. But clearly some backers of the Bahrain's monarchy heeded the call. "Thank God Bahrain is back on track," wrote one post. Another wrote: "May the force be with you, King Hamad." Bahrain's foreign minister, Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, added on his Twitter page: "Yes we can!" Jamal Fakhro, a state-appointed member of Bahrain's parliament, said such pledges of loyalty hold great value in the tribal-based Gulf societies, particularly when a country "is going through a difficult time." "Many people want to say they are against those calling for the regime change," Fakhro said. "They have a voice, too, but rather than shouting their support on the streets they write it down." But others see another potentially damaging blows to Bahrain's fragile unity. The state is increasingly trying to "enforce the official narrative" of the unrest, said Jane Kinninmont, a Gulf specialist at the London-based Economist Intelligence Unit. "There are only two positions to have in Bahrain now," Kinninmont said. "It's very much an 'either you are with us or against us' campaign." On Tuesday, Bahrain's justice minister, Khaled bin Ali Al Khalifa, said 23 doctors and 24 nurses would be the next to face charges that include attempts to topple the monarchy. Authorities also claim that Bahrain's main state-run hospital, the Salmaniya Medical Complex, was turned into a base of operations for "saboteurs who sought to spread chaos, cause disruptions and trouble and create sedition." Bit by bit, meanwhile, officials are erasing symbols of the uprising. Some Shiite mosques have been bulldozed for apparently being built without permits. The main opposition paper, Al Wasat, will be forced to shut down next week and three of its former top editors are scheduled to on trial May 19. Cranes have toppled the towering monument in Pearl Square, the center of the protest in the capital Manama, and renamed the site the GCC Roundabout after the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council, which supported Bahrain's embattled monarchy by sending in 1,500 troops. "The rule that states might makes it right is still operative in Bahrain," said Ehsan Ahrari, an analyst and commentator on regional affairs based in Alexandria, Virginia. U.S. officials have struggled with this. They have stepped up criticism of Bahrain's crackdowns, but are wary of pressing too hard. The 5th Fleet is the Pentagon's main counterweight to Iran's expanding military, and the Gulf leaders' shared fears about Iran are a cornerstone of U.S. policies in the region — even though there is little concern evidence of ties between Bahrain's Shiites and Tehran. Earlier this week, State Department spokesman Mark Toner cautioned Bahrain on its tactics, saying: "There's no security solution to resolve the challenges that Bahrain faces." |
| 4 Apps for Getting More Done This Weekend (Mashable) Posted: 07 May 2011 11:26 AM PDT The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here. Each weekday, Mashable chooses one startup to profile in our Spark of Genius series. While we're inundated with applications from great startups, it's more demand than we can keep up with. [More from Mashable: Highlight, Annotate & Save Web Pages With Scrible] In response, we're kicking off a new series we'll use to feature even more companies worthy of reader attention. Each weekend, we'll handpick a few startups that we think are building interesting, unique or niche products. Parking In Motion, for instance, is working to solve a problem that most drivers experience on a daily basis: finding parking spots. FullForesome is a niche social network for golfers that helps them do more of what they love do -- golf. LikeJournal is taking a stab at turning Facebook "likes" into bookmarks. And then there's AirRun, an iPhone app for gofers; it's a practical app for an economy still on the mend. [More from Mashable: Localmind Uses Foursquare & Facebook Checkins for Q&A Platform] All worthy ideas, we think. Take a look, test them out and then share your thoughts with us in the comments.
PIM: App Makes Parking Easy
Quick Pitch: iPhone app [iTunes link]. Genius Idea: Find parking faster. Mashable's Take: Finding a parking spot in metropolitan areas can be a hassle. PIM provides users with a map or list view of 16,000 parking locations in 300 U.S. cities, 50 Canadian cities and 200 European cities to simplify the process. App users can also check out prices, hours of operations, remaining capacity and entry points, as well as pay and reserve a spot before they arrive. Eventually, PIM will add support so users can pay their parking meters remotely. Android and BlackBerry versions of the app are also in the works.
AirRun: Outsource Jobs to iPhone Users
Quick Pitch: AirRun is a location-based job hub for iOS devices [iTunes link]. Genius Idea: Hire cheap labor for the tasks you don't want to do yourself. Mashable's Take: Earlier in the week, Gigawalk launched with a splash by offering iPhone users a quick and easy way to sign up to complete tasks in exchange for compensation. AirRun operates under the same model -- anyone can outsource jobs to iPhone users interested in making a quick buck. With AirRun, users can be seekers or runners. Seekers create jobs, specify the pay for the services they're requesting and select applicants to fulfill their requests. Runners can locate nearby tasks on a map, apply to complete jobs and get compensated for their services, all via the application.
LikeJournal: Bookmarking Site for Facebook "Likes"
Quick Pitch: LikeJournal is a social bookmarking site powered by the Facebook Like Button. Genius Idea: Treating "likes" as bookmarks. Mashable's Take: When you click the Facebook Like button, you're sharing your interest in something with your Facebook friends. The action is also not dissimilar to bookmarking a website to revisit later. Such is the premise behind LikeJournal, a site that collects your Facebook "likes" as bookmarks. In addition to its website, LikeJournal offers both Chrome and Firefox extensions to give users quick access to their recent "likes" and "like" search functionality. The overall experience is quite rudimentary right now, but as Facebook users log more "likes," there's certainly potential for LikeJournal to build out a service that helps users better manage their "likes."
FullForesome: A Social Network for Golfers
Quick Pitch: FullForesome is a website and iPhone application that makes it incredibly easy for users to round up playing partners for a round of golf. Genius Idea: Never schedule a tee time for one again. Mashable's Take: Avid golfers are often in search of partners -- at least, that's what I hear from my father, the golfer. FullForesome, a social networking site for golf enthusiasts, offers users a simple way to find and pair up with other golfers via its website and companion iPhone application [iTunes link]. The FullForesome user can specify course preferences, add friends, schedule tee times and use the app to solicit friends or strangers with similar interests to join him or her in a round of golf. Course managers can also choose to sign up to help their customers better coordinate their golf plans. With ringing endorsements from trade publications, the service seems very well suited for digitally-savvy golf aficionados. Image courtesy of iStockphoto, quavondo
Series Supported by Microsoft BizSpark The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark, a startup program that gives you three-year access to the latest Microsoft development tools, as well as connecting you to a nationwide network of investors and incubators. There are no upfront costs, so if your business is privately owned, less than three years old, and generates less than U.S.$1 million in annual revenue, you can sign up today. This story originally published on Mashable here. |
| US lawmakers plan 'Do Not Track' bills (AFP) Posted: 07 May 2011 10:17 AM PDT WASHINGTON (AFP) – US lawmakers announced plans on Friday to introduce "Do Not Track" legislation that would let Internet users block companies from gathering information about their online activities. Senator Jay Rockefeller, a Democrat from West Virginia, said his "Do Not Track Online Act of 2011" will offer a "simple, straightforward way for people to stop companies from tracking their every move on the Internet." "Consumers have a right to know when and how their personal and sensitive information is being used online -- and most importantly to be able to say 'no thanks' when companies seek to gather that information without their approval," Rockefeller said in a statement. In the House of Representatives, Joe Barton, a Republican from Texas, and Edward Markey, a Democrat from Massachusetts, released a draft of a separate "Do Not Track" bill aimed at protecting children online. US senators John Kerry and John McCain introduced an online privacy bill last month that would require companies gathering data to allow a consumer to "opt-out" of having their information collected. The former Democratic and Republican presidential candidates said their bill seeks to strike a balance between protecting the personal information of Web users and the needs of businesses to conduct electronic commerce. The flurry of legislation comes amid a series of high-profile data theft incidents, including the theft of personal information from more than 100 million Sony accounts, and controversy over tracking technology in Apple's iPhone and in smartphones running Google's Android software. Apple and Google are to attend a congressional hearing on privacy next week following claims the iPhone and Android devices regularly track a user's location and stores the data. "We look forward to engaging with policymakers about how we protect our users' mobile privacy," Google said in an email to AFP. Google explained that people must opt-in to use location-sharing on Android-powered smartphones and get to control how data is used. "Any location data that is sent back to Google location servers is anonymized and is not tied or traceable to a specific user," the Mountain View, California-based Internet titan said. Apple vice president of software Guy Tribble was listed as representing the Cupertino, California-based iPhone, iPad and iPod maker at the hearing. Apple on Wednesday released updated software for iPhones to fix "bugs" that resulted in location data being unencrypted and stored for up to a year. The changes came in an iOS 4.3.3 software update. Apple has denied tracking iPhone users, maintaining that locations of Wi-Fi hotspots and cell towers was used for services such as navigation or targeted ads. Rockefeller, chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, said his bill would create a "legal obligation" for all online companies to honor the choice of consumers who say they do not want to be tracked online. It would give the Federal Trade Commission the power to pursue any company that does not honor the request. Barton and Markey, the co-chairmen of the Bi-Partisan Congressional Privacy Caucus, said their "Do Not Track Kids Act of 2011" establishes new protections for the personal information of children and teenagers. "For millions of kids today, the Internet is their new 21st century playground," Markey said in a statement. "But kids growing up in this online environment also need protection from the dangers that can lurk in cyberspace." The bill would notably require online companies to obtain parental consent before collecting children's personal information and prohibit them from using personal information of children and teens for targeted marketing. It would also create an "Eraser Button" for parents and children that would allow users to eliminate publicly available personal information content "when technologically feasible." |
| Sony may offer reward for PSN hackers' heads (Digital Trends) Posted: 07 May 2011 12:15 PM PDT
If Sony does decide to offer a reward, it will reportedly do so in full cooperation with the FBI and other law enforcement agencies around the world, who may find the case within their jurisdiction. In a letter to Congress about the matter, Sony admitted that it has no idea about the actual identities of the hackers that infiltrated the PSN, and stole the personal and financial data of as many as 100 million users, worldwide. The company has pointed to infamous hacker group Anonymous as a possible suspect, saying that they found files labeled "Anonymous" and "We are legion" (an Anonymous slogan), on their servers. Anonymous has admitted to flooding Sony's websites with traffic, a type of "attack" known as distributed denial of service (DDoS), as part of "OpSony," a campaign against Sony for its lawsuit against fellow hacker George "GeoHot" Hotz, who jailbroke the PlayStation 3. Initially, however, the group firmly denied any involvement in the credit card data theft that has caused Sony so much trouble. But according to the Financial Times, two members of Anonymous admit that supporters of the loose-knit group waged the attacks on Sony's systems and stole the data. "The hacker that did this was supporting OpSony's movements," an Anonymous hacker told FT. Long-time Anonymous hacker, who goes by the name "Kayla," confirmed to FT that at least supporters of Anonymous could have been responsible for the PSN breach. "If you say you are Anonymous, and do something as Anonymous, then Anonymous did it," said Kayla, who famously helped hack security firm HBGary Federal. "Just because the rest of Anonymous might not agree with it, doesn't mean Anonymous didn't do it." Anonymous has been involved in an increasing number of high-profile hacks and cyber attacks against corporations like Visa, MasterCard and PayPal. They have also dipped their digital toes into geo-political battles in countries like Egypt and Iran. With various government agencies hounding Sony for answers about the massive data breach of its networks, don't be surprised if they toss out a hefty chunk of change to get people talking. And, since it seems some already are spilling the beans, the identities of the PSN hackers could soon be made public. |
| My $15 a Month Android Data Plan (ContributorNetwork) Posted: 07 May 2011 12:03 PM PDT Contribute content like this. Start here. It was finally time to move out of the house. And while I could keep my smartphone's contract under our AT&T family plan, it'd be inconvenient, plus it would smack of dependence. I craved freedom, and autonomy. But how to get that, in a world of two-year smartphone contracts? Moreover, how could I keep using my phone without breaking the bank? I'd already have to pay an early termination fee as it was. Contract-free carriers The major carriers like Sprint and Verizon charged premium prices, so I looked at the lesser-known carriers here in the U.S. like Cricket and MetroPCS. Virgin Mobile offered the best terms: The lowest tier of its "Beyond Talk" plan offers unlimited data and texting for $25 per month, plus 300 minutes besides. That's a steal compared to most wireless carriers. Especially for someone like me, who hardly ever talks on his phone and just uses it for the wireless Internet. But it's also the same amount that I was paying for my family plan contract, plus my AT&T smartphone wouldn't work on Virgin Mobile's network. So I'd have to pay the early termination fee, buy a new phone, then pay the same amount that I was already paying, just so I could have a cheap data plan in my name. Surely there was a better way. Thriving on a GoPhone plan When I found out AT&T was introducing a new Android GoPhone, the LG Thrive, I got excited. Because not only was this a real Android smartphone on a prepaid data plan, the selection of plans had cheap low-end options. The $25 that gets you unlimited texting and data on Virgin Mobile only gets you 500 MB per month on a GoPhone, but there's also a $15 plan for 100 MB. I'm usually at a Wi-Fi hotspot, so for me 3G wireless Internet is less of a lifeline and more of a contingency plan. That $15 a month is the cheapest way for me to access AT&T's wireless network, plus use AT&T's hotspots for free and get unlimited free texting with Google Voice. And while the iPhone apparently can't be switched to a GoPhone plan, my HTC Aria could with no problem, so I didn't even have to purchase a Thrive. What about voice? I was dismayed to find Google Voice doesn't let you make free phone calls and requires you to have voice minutes. Furthermore, the most economical voice plan on GoPhone is $25 for three months, and it gives way more minutes than I need. I'm considering VOIP apps such as GrooVe IP, which apparently lets you make free calls with your Google Voice number. That's not bad for a $4 app and would basically give me unlimited minutes when I'm near a Wi-Fi hotspot. Away from home and from stores that have Wi-Fi, it'd still let me make quick calls using my data plan, like to meet up or check if a store is open. But will it blend (into your life)? A phone with no minutes and almost no data is probably not right for most people. I haven't tried Virgin Mobile's network, but if I didn't already have an AT&T phone I'd probably have bought an LG Optimus V from Virgin, and gone on its cheap Beyond Talk plan. An extra $10 a month for unlimited data could come in handy, sometimes. Not everyone lives in an area covered by Virgin, though. And paying only $15 a month off-contract for a smartphone? Sign me up. Jared Spurbeck is an open-source software enthusiast, who uses an Android phone and an Ubuntu laptop PC. He has been writing about technology and electronics since 2008. |
| Flipboard iPad App Doubles Users, Triples Traffic In Two Months (PC World) Posted: 07 May 2011 12:36 PM PDT Traffic on Flipboard, which turns your social and media feeds into a sleek digital magazine, has increased 300 percent since early March, to between 8 and 9 million flips, CEO Mike McCue told Liz Gannes of AllThingsD. A flip on the touchscreen app is roughly equivalent to a page view. [Read: Flipboard--A Great Apple iPad App Gets Better] The social news app also doubled its user base in two months, and I was one of them. Flipboard was the third app I installed on my new iPad last month, after Evernote (for productivity) and Angry Birds (for unproductivity). For those of us trying to make a living in the new media landscape, Flipboard gives a preview of what our work might look like in a few years: Digital, clickable, multimedia, interactive, instantly updated, streamlined and personalized. The app picks up Facebook, Twitter, Google Reader, Flickr and other social media feeds and arranges them into a magazine-like layout. Instead of wandering aimless like a cloud through my browser, mailbox, and desktop to see my RSS feeds, friends' updates, Tweets, and favorite New York Times stories, I get them, neatly assembled, usually with a lovely photo of somebody else's vacation on the cover. Users can add curated topical feeds and Flipboard versions of a growing stable of publications, ranging from Lonely Planet to Business Insider. It bypasses advertising, which scares me as a writer. As a reader, I like it a lot. It's been a good couple of weeks for Flipboard, which picked up Webbys and People's Voice Awards for tablet news and social apps, and signed the Oprah Winfrey media empire in mid-April and Forbes this week, according to Folio. Flipboard for iPhone will launch this summer, McCue told Gannes. "I mentioned to McCue that Flipboard might now be part of my weekend routine but it's too lightweight for my weekday thirst to tap into real-time news and conversation," Gannes writes. "McCue responded that the new iPhone app is designed to be a weekday tool for people like me." A MacOS version has been rumored but not announced. |
| Will a Multitude of App Stores Hurt Android? (PC World) Posted: 07 May 2011 09:00 AM PDT GetJar, Opera, Amazon and now Barnes & Noble-seems like these days everyone has their own Android app store with their own apps that can't be found anywhere else. While the joke these past few months has been that Steve Jobs doesn't "get "all these Android app stores, the real joke may be on the consumer. Think of when you shop at the grocery store. You can't possibly find every brand represented in a single store. The big names like Coca-Cola and Kraft show up everywhere, but other smaller brands may not be on the shelves. The same thing will soon be happening to Android. Big companies like Rovio, maker of the amazingly popular Angry Birds games, will release their apps across all kinds of markets, but smaller indie-developers will pick and choose where they want their applications to be sold. The reasoning behind this is that, while the big name apps will always dominate, indie-companies will gain better visibility in these new markets. So while a small indie-game would be buried in the traditional Android Market, that same game could be the number one app in China under a third-party app store. Android has always been about choice, but is there any such thing as having too much choice? Another thing to consider is malware. As we see more and more Android app stores launching, what is there to stop a third party from creating an app store that distributes malware? The DroidDream fiasco showed us that any app could potentially be infected with malware. Who knows if that copy of Bebbled you are downloading is a legitimate copy, or an evil clone set out to steal your data. Not everyone is going to be vetting Android apps before they go on sale. At the recent Appnation developer conference in San Francisco, the biggest problem developers said they faced was getting their apps out so people could find and download them. However, the strategy of selectively choosing which app stores to support--a concept that many developers favor--may be more hurtful than helpful. Making people dig through multiple app stores just to find your product sounds like a convoluted way to market your goods. In his keynote Trip Hawkins, founder of Digital Chocolate, gave the conference the sound advice that simplicity and convenience are the best way to reach new customers. In my opinion, making potential customers go on wild goose hunts for apps is by no means convenient for users. I don't know about you, but I'm not ready to have to search 10 different app stores to find an app that I want. Chances are I'll lose interest in that app, and pick the first one I find that does the same thing. To all the developers out there remember: Make things easier for your customers, and they will adore you for it. |
| More than just T-shirts, Threadless now offering chance to create iPhone cases (Appolicious) Posted: 07 May 2011 10:00 AM PDT |
| US government officially recognizes video games as art (Digital Trends) Posted: 07 May 2011 08:09 PM PDT
The status upgrade is due to a change in the NEA's guidelines for its new "Arts in Media" category. They are, as NEA director of Media Arts Alyce Myatt says, "expanding." Astonishingly, the NEA's previous rules only counted radio and television as viable art platforms in the multi-media realm. According to the new guidelines, content produced for "all available media platforms such as the Internet, interactive and mobile technologies, digital games, arts content delivered via satellite, as well as on radio and television," will be recognized by the NEA. Of course, anyone can call anything they want art. What the NEA's endorsement does is make it possible for artists who create pieces entirely in digital form, delivered through a digital device, to get grants from the federal government to fund their projects. According to the NEA’s website, the parameters of what can qualify for cash are as follows: “Grants are available to support the development, production, and national distribution of innovative media projects about the arts (e.g., visual arts, music, dance, literature, design, theater, musical theater, opera, folk & traditional arts, and media arts including film, audio, animation, and digital art) and media projects that can be considered works of art. "Projects may include high profile multi-part or single television and radio programs (documentaries and dramatic narratives); media created for theatrical release; performance programs; artistic segments for use within an existing series; multi-part webisodes; installations; and interactive games. Short films, five minutes and under, will be considered in packages of three or more." The amount of money delivered through grants will generally range between $10,000 and $200,000. Anyone who wants to start a project before May 1, 2012, must submit their application to the NEA by September 1 of this year. |
| Images Show Violent Exchange at Apple's Beijing Store During iPad 2 Launch (PC World) Posted: 07 May 2011 05:19 PM PDT Disturbing images showing what appears to a bloody altercation at an Apple retail store in Beijing, China are believed to show a scuffle among iPad 2 customers and store employees. The Website MyChinaViews.com reports one day after the iPad 2 launched in China the Sanlitun retail Apple Store was forced to temporarily close on Saturday after an alleged conflict broke out between iPad 2 scalpers and Apple Store employees. Scalpers buy iPad 2 tablets and resell them for a higher price to different markets where the iPad 2 is out of stock or not yet available. Details of what exactly took place are sketchy because reports are based on Chinese language Websites. Much of what is being reported at this point is based on images provided by the site MyChinaViews.com. Apple Insider and 9 to 5 Mac originally picked up the story from the Chinese Mac site MacX and rely on the Google Translate tool. The account from MyChinaViews.com is in English, but is a poor translation. According to a report on the incident on MyChinaViews.com, four people were injured and taken to the hospital and a glass door at the store was broken. It's important to note that it's hard to pin down what exactly happened at the store. MacX says the information is not confirmed and is "difficult to distinguish between true and false." Images seem to tell most of the story. All the following images are courtesy of MyChinaViews.com. |
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