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“Insanely low price” = garbage

Due-East — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 12:49:03 +0000

If something seems like it’s too good to be true, it probably is. According to a story on Slashgear, a Russian computer repair center was asked to take a look at the above-pictured external backup hard drive to see why data kept disappearing from it. It was supposedly bought at a Chinese store for an “insanely low price”. When the repair center opened up the drive to take a look at it, this is what they found inside:

A 128 MB flash drive and two heavy nuts to make the drive seem sufficiently weighty to customers. The flash drive was “looped” so that when it ran out of space, it would start to overwrite the oldest data. In other words, it would LOOK like you were copying tons and tons of data to the drive, but all you were actually getting in the end was about 128 MB of that data. And the minute you copied something else to the drive, it you would lose what you had just put on it. Sad, China, sad…

Click here for the Slashgear article.

In the future, Internet crime will come mostly from Asia…oh, and Mexico

Due-East — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 16:42:11 +0000

F-Secure.com just published the resulting maps from their study of the shifts in Internet crime trends since 1986. The results are pretty interesting. The map below illustrates that up to the year 2003, criminals from the United States and Europe have been the creators of most malware. According to F-Secure, the time period covered by this map was characterized by “opportunistic ‘hobbyists’ learning their craft” and “old-school virus writers operating from areas in Europe, United States, Australia and India.”

And then in the “recent history” (is 1986 considered ancient history now?! Am I that old?!), people apparently started getting bored of just playing around and writing viruses and things just to wreak havoc; they wanted to make money or achieve some other goal, so “professional, targeted attacks” started to rise. Here’s how F-Secure describes the characteristics of malware creation in this period:

Malware creation hotspots growing in the former Soviet countries (such as Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Latvia). Other major areas of criminal activity are Brazil and China, which have large numbers of individuals with sophisticated computing skills but without the job opportunities to make a living for themselves in the IT sector. Online crime often presents a more lucrative path to raising living standards for people like these.

I’m not sure these maps are totally accurate. It seems kind of fishy that at least graphically they’ve pinned ALL of the world’s virus-writing guilt on Brazil, Russia, and China. C’mon, guys…Americans aren’t that lazy that they’re gonna let other countries make all the illegal money. I mean, the US pretty much invented the Internet and Internet crime; they’re not going out like chumps.

Moving on…the folks at F-Secure now don their prophet caps and look to the future, predicting that in the future, malware will come mostly from Asia with generous helpings coming from Africa and Mexico. Their site makes the following two points:

“Internet usage is growing fastest in Asia, followed by Africa. IT job growth will be lacking behind, creating a breeding ground for online criminals.”
“In many countries there will be a delay before the legal system catches up with developments in the IT sector. Computer criminals may also be able to escape the law more easily in countries which are undergoing serious political and security problems.”

It makes perfect sense to me. If the citizens of a country are poor and the government of that country is too busy with its own growing pains or internal struggle to pass and enforce Internet-related laws, naturally people there are gonna take advantage of the situation. Often, in terms of what people will and won’t do, hunger > laws > ethics. So when the chips are down, most people will do whatever they need to put food on the table regardless of ethics or laws, and if there’s no law to telling them they can’t do something, they’re even more likely to give it a shot. Anyway, below is their map of the future of Internet crime.

So it looks like we all get to look forward to more virus-laden e-mails trying to trick us into doing the same old things with the same old consequences, only now with even worse English than in the past, probably confusing Rs and Ls throughout. Ah, grobarization!

Link to F-Secure study

How to enable Chinese input on your Blackberry

Due-East — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 21:48:44 +0000

NOTE (3/4/2009): I’m glad these instructions have been so helpful to so many people. Unfortunately, I’m way too busy now to be able to work on helping people troubleshoot why these methods don’t work for their Blackberry. So if you read this article and have any questions or problems, please click the link at the bottom of the article and ask someone in the forums there. Thank you. – 孙智谦

I recently switched my phone service from Sprint to AT&T and somehow managed to sucker myself into thinking I needed a Blackberry so that I can keep up-to-date on all the unimportant e-mails I receive every day (the latest deals on erectile dysfunction medications, who wants help smuggling money out of what country, etc). I ended up getting a Blackberry Curve 8310. It’s a cool phone, but the only problem is that with the default OS, there’s no support for Chinese at all. It can’t display Chinese characters, and it can’t input them. That stinks since I do get e-mail from Chinese friends, and I’d like to be able to read and respond to what they write without having to be at home to do it. So I set about trying to find a way to make it work…and after lots of Google searching and forum reading, I came across a great forum thread (link at the bottom of this article) that gave me the general steps on how to get it done. I followed the steps (with some modifications) and was able to make it work pretty easily. I’ve posted the outline of the procedure that I used below in an attempt to hopefully make it easier for those who follow after me. Here goes…

I highly recommend backing up your Blackberry before you do anything. In the BlackBerry Desktop Manager program, click on Backup and Restore and choose the Backup option and export your data to a file.

The first step is to download the latest HK CSL Limited (HK CSL is a Hong Kong cell phone carrier) version of the Blackberry OS for your particular model. You can download it here. It’ll ask you all kinds of questions and run through the whole “I’m not gonna use this to hack the planet” stuff, but you can at least download it.
Next, you’ll also want to download the Simplified Chinese font pack for Blackberry. I can’t find the link where I got it originally, but you can download it here. It doesn’t appear that the HK CSL version of the Blackberry OS supports simplified Chinese characters. It may, but when I installed it, it didn’t seem like it was going to, so just to be safe, I downloaded the fonts for it and installed them. After you’ve downloaded the package, extract the zip file to somewhere on your computer and note where you extracted the files. You’ll have to browse to that location in a couple of steps.
After you’ve obtained the software you need, I recommend uninstalling any Blackberry software you have on your computer (just for the sake of doing things cleanly). Logically, you’ll need your Blackberry User Tools CD (or at least a downloaded copy) for reinstalling the software later.
Navigate to C:\Program Files\Common Files\Research In Motion\AppLoader
and rename or delete your VENDOR.XML file if that directory and that file still exist. They may not since you just uninstalled all Blackberry software that was on your machine.
Open the downloaded OS file that you got in step 1 and install it. At the end of the install, it should ask you if you want to run the Application Loader program. I chose Yes, but then the AppLoader that it ran was in Chinese, and I didn’t feel like going through it in Chinese. So I canceled it and browsed to C:\Program Files\Common Files\Research In Motion\Apploader and double-clicked on Loader.exe That kicked off the Apploader program in English. Your mileage may vary, but that’s what worked for me.
At the screen where it gives you the option of what you want to install, make sure you check all the boxes that have to do with Chinese (and Japanese and Korean if you want to be able to read sites/e-mails in those languages – sorry, this OS doesn’t support writing in those languages). Also, remember those simplified Chinese fonts I mentioned downloading earlier? They may not be necessary, but you may want to browse to where that zip file was extracted and select the net_rim_font_chinese.alx file to install those simplified Chinese fonts just to be safe. Also on this screen, make sure you select the pinyin input option so that you can switch between inputting English and Chinese using your Blackberry. At some point during this step, it’ll probably also ask you if you want to backup your device. That’d be a good idea if you like what you have on your Blackberry. Once you’ve done all that, get ready to wait up to 30 minutes (maybe more, maybe less) for your device to become usable again. It’ll probably look like it’s hung at some point because the progress bar won’t move for a long time, but it’s just taking it’s sweet time. It’ll work.
You’ll probably have to go through the setup wizard on your Blackberry again, but the good news is that it should keep your messaging/e-mail set up (it did on mine, anyway). It’ll ask you what input language and screen language you wanna use. Unless you’re fluent in Chinese and can read it all, I recommend sticking with English on both. You can easily switch the input language within an application by pressing the “full” menu button (the menu button with the dots on it) and choosing Switch Input Language. Then, it’s just a matter of typing pinyin and selecting the appropriate character for what you want to say.
After you’ve done this, re-install Desktop Manager and other applications, set up your synchronization again, and you’re good-to-go.

It’s pretty straight-forward. If I’ve left a step out, let me know by leaving a comment. And sorry about the lack of screenshots. I neglected to take any when I was doing this on my Blackberry, and I don’t feel like going back and doing it again just for screenshots, so this is all you get. If for some reason this process fails and your Blackberry is all jacked up, fear not. Just follow the instructions for using javaloader.exe on this forum thread (Or call support for help with getting it back to its like-new state) and try again. Happy hacking!

Link to article/forum posting that I used to do this to my own Blackberry

ChinesePera-kun: the most helpful Firefox extension there is for students of Chinese

Due-East — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 21:08:20 +0000

Chinesepera-kun in action

I’m really excited about this Firefox extension! Up until this afternoon, if I ran across a Chinese character that I didn’t know, I would have to copy it and paste it into Adsotrans.com or Babelfish to see what it meant. It can be really cumbersome, having so many different browser windows or tabs open just to get the meaning of a specific character. But then Ole over on the forums at Mango Languages suggested this excellent Firefox plugin called Chinesepera-kun, and now gone are the days of bogging my system down with 5 different Firefox tabs being open at once just so I can learn a new character.

Here’s how it works: Once you’ve installed the plugin, you right-click anywhere in the Firefox window and choose Toggle ChinesePera-kun to activate it. Then, when you see a Chinese character that you don’t recognize on a website, you just hover your cursor over it and watch the definition pop up on the screen, along with the Pinyin pronunciation. For an larger image of it in action, click here. Totally awesome!

You can learn more about the plugin and download it here.

PMP can do ANYTHING. Really. The reviewers say so.

Due-East — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 15:38:15 +0000

The Portable Media Player, which can do pretty much anything

Check out this Portable Media Player (or PMP – which just so happens to be a very similar name to Sony’s PSP, a handheld gaming system with a similar design). It can apparently do basically anything entertainment-wise, even read novels! I wonder what it thought of Pride and Prejudice. Look at the Chinglish-laden features list below:

Portable Game & Media Player integrates such functions as watching Movie, enjoying Music, Playing GAMES, Reading novels, sound Recording, browsing Pictures and Take pictures. Feature : Game Player : Game Emulator support NES, SNES & MD/SMC ( Sega 16bit ), You can run thousands of game which you can download from Internet Movie Player : Support AVI of MPEG-4 format ( DIVX 3.11/4.X/5.X and XVID codec : Sizes : 320*240 @ 30 fps ) Music Player : Support MP3, WMA, FLAC , with Equlizer Camera : Digital Camera Function with 1300K pixel Video Recorder : Record in 320*240 MPEG4 Voice Recorder : Voice Recorde in MP3 format in 128,192 and 256KPS E-Book Reader : Support E-Book in TXT format Picture Viewer : Support JPG, GIF , BMP format Build-in 1G memory, Support Max. 4G external SD card. Build-in Litum Rechargable battery wth 12000mah , Continue Video play for 6 hrs, or Music play for 20 hrs. With Auto Shut down, Firmware upgradable, 3.6″ screen size ( 960*240) TFT , Theme Select, Multi Language support ( English, French, Chinese, Italian, Portuguese ) , Wallpaper changable

And apparently it’s a high-quality product! Just look at the customer comments below:

X-Box Man says, “Very professional! All kinds and all in readiness. Almost you can find every kinds of product in it.” That’s great because I need some more toilet paper, and now I won’t have to go to the store to get some. I can just look in my new PMP and find it!
Gunter Maske says, “Humanly design and easy for carrying . You will find every design is close to user’s requirements. Good!” As long as the design is humanly, I’m sure it fits every user’s requirements!
S. Yung has problems with self-esteem, but the PMP makes him feel more confident in his worth as a person. He says, “The products have many functions which make me feel more exciting! And all of them are work well ! How perfect!”
Guy Mason apparently has this product confused for a pace-maker. “Works so great you won’t even know it’s there ! It works just like it is supposed to!”

With reviews like those, who wouldn’t want one! It’s not too expensive, either. If you’re paying in American dollars, it’ll cost you just over one hundred bucks. A humanly design, any product you want inside, self-help properties, and invisibility, all for $110?! I’ll take two!

Link to product page.

RIM wins eight year fight to make Chinese drivers even worse

Due-East — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 18:42:50 +0000

Accidents waiting to happen

As if the traffic in Chinese cities wasn’t dangerous enough, Research In Motion (RIM) has won an eight year battle to be able to sell their BlackBerry devices in China. If you don’t have one of these, you won’t understand, but if you do have one, you’ll understand why people call them CrackBerries and why they can be dangerous if you drive a car. They’re quite possibly the most addictive devices on the planet up to this point (the iPhone isn’t as widely used yet) because they can be used as phones, internet browsing devices, and e-mail clients. I see lots of people using them during their morning commutes, and I’m not totally innocent of using mine while driving, either.

The traffic in Chinese cities is known for being extremely dangerous already, with drivers ranging from aggressive to downright psychotic. It’s kind of understandable considering that there are about a zillion cars on every street in some cities; you kind of have to be a bit aggressive or just plain off your rocker to drive in conditions like they have on some streets. And it’s dangerous. I was in a motor scooter accident there. Okay, technically it was my fault since I hit a stationary object, and there was only one other vehicle on the road that was nowhere near me, but that’s not the point! The point is, adding a bunch of BlackBerries to the mix is only going to make things worse. I’m glad I don’t live there right now.

Link to article

China’s porn crackdown

Due-East — Thu, 03 May 2007 13:39:02 +0000

Internet censorship seems to be a hotly-debated topic when China is brought up in conversation lately, but it looks like Beijing (as in the Chinese government as a whole) has the support of the people in at least one area: the fight against online pornography.

According to an article on China.org.cn, the Chinese government launched a massive program to halt the spread of internet pr0n (that’s porn, for those of you that don’t understand l33t sp33k – but don’t feel bad if you don’t, because it’s pretty lame anyway) on April 12th. And since the program’s inception, the number of calls to police to report internet pornography has increased from about 300 a day to almost 700 a day. And this is the internet we’re talking about, not the local park, so most of the people reporting are young people. The campaign seems to be working; according to the article, Beijing has shut down more than 1,400 pornographic websites and deleted more than 30,000 obscene messages since it began. Thankfully, China’s traditional values haven’t been completely destroyed (yet) by Western influence.

Link to article.

The new Chinese-made, Apple iPhone clone…

Due-East — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 20:30:19 +0000

If China were a company’s R&D department, they would be Microsoft’s. What do I mean? Well, does Microsoft ever come up with anything new anymore? No, they just go around buying up everybody else’s good ideas or blatantly ripping them off. Sure, a long time ago Microsoft was ground-breaking, but now they’re just kind of hanging on. That’s pretty much how China has been for a while now. They invented fireworks, pasta, and arguably a lot of other things we take for granted today. But look at their popular culture these days. Almost everything that’s really cool is kind of a rip off of cooler stuff from Japan or Korea or sometimes even America (who probably ripped anything cool off from Japan and Korea, anyway). But China is also kind of like Dell’s old R&D department. Historically, Dell has let everybody else spend the money on R&D, and then they’ve found a way to do the same basic thing, only a little bit cheaper. That’s been great for consumers because it’s helped push everybody to lower their prices, thus making computing power more affordable for everybody.

China seems to be trying to help lower prices in the whole MP3 player/phone market, which is great, if you ask me. The picture above is a picture of Meizu‘s new Apple iPhone clone called MiniOne. Sure, it’s a blatant rip-off of the iPhone, but it looks pretty cool and has a much nicer price. And anything that features screenshots using Chinese characters makes my mouth water. It’s due to ship by the end of the year. I wonder if they’ll follow Microsoft in that area, too, and totally miss their launch date, or go with Dell’s “just in time” delivery model. Really, it doesn’t matter to me one way or the other; I’m broke.

Link to article.

Is China poised to become the next big thing in electronics?

Due-East — Thu, 16 Nov 2006 20:01:16 +0000

This is a pretty interesting article on Gizmodo that speculates about that and which country will move in to take its place once it happens.

Here’s a selected quote from the article:

“After all, the natural cycle in gadget production has been for a country to start out as a purveyor of discount knock-offs, then gradually reinvent itself as a premium supplier. We’re all probably too young to remember this, but “Made in Tokyo” was a sign of inferior quality circa 1950. And weren’t LG and Samsung considered cheaper alternatives to Japanese goods just a generation (or less) ago?

You can already see what might be the first stirrings of China’s maturation—the transformation of Lenovo into an IBM-buying global brand, for example, or the efforts of Japanese companies like Matsushita Electric to move high-end manufacturing operations to Shanghai. I’m not saying that the flood of cheap MP3 players from Shenzhen is gonna stop in the next twelve months, but maybe it’s time to start asking: when it comes to low-end gadgets, what’s the next China?”

It’ll be interesting to see how it all shakes out.

Article here.

China’s ahead of the IPv6 curve.

Due-East — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 13:25:37 +0000

Since most of my readers (all 2 of you) know nothing about how the internet works, I’ll leave a lot of the technical details behind the article in this post. Trust me, they would bore you (and me) stiff.

Basically, the internet has been running out of IP addresses (every website has an address) because of the inherent mathematical limits of the current technology used to carry information across the ‘Net. For a few years now, a newer protocol (IPv6) has been invented but not actually used much of anywhere. Apparently, China is ahead of the United States, South Korea, and Japan in rolling the new technology out, and they hope to have the technology running on a trial basis by the end of this year. The Chinese government is hoping that the early implementation of IPv6 technology will allow Chinese telecom companies to get their new IPv6-enabled products to market before the current leaders of the current technology (IPv4), American companies Cisco Systems and Juniper Networks, can do so. The goal is to make Chinese tech companies more competitive on the world scene. Only time will tell if it works out well for the Chinese or if consumers will be brand-loyal to Juniper and Cisco.

Link to article