China refuses to allow western diplomats to monitor trial

Internet entrepreneur, Huang Qi, goes on trial today for allowing content to be published on his Web site that Chinese authorities deemed subversive. But requests by western diplomats in Beijing to monitor the trial have been denied. The trial, being held in the Chengdu Intermediate People's Court in the south-western Sichuan province, relates to articles about the 1989 democracy protests in Tiananmen Square and is the first time China has prosecuted an ISP over politically sensitive material. ...more

China advised to mandate 'real name system' blogging

The Internet Society of China has recommended to the government that bloggers be required to use their real names when they register blogs, state media said on Monday, in the latest attempt to regulate free-wheeling Web content. The society, which is affiliated with the Ministry of Information Industry, said no decision had been made but that a 'real name system' was inevitable. 'A real name system will be an unavoidable choice if China wants to standardise and develop its blog industry,' the official Xinhua news agency quoted the Internet Society's secretary general, Huang Chengqing, as saying. ...more

Dark fibre looms over KPNQwest deadline

The fate of KPNQwest - the pan-European data communications company and the largest carrier of IP traffic in Europe - goes to the wire. Trustees of the company, which has filed for bankruptcy, have set a deadline for tonight for clients to settle outstanding bills. KPNQwest is desperate for revenue following the withdrawal of funding by the Dutch telco KPN, which along with Qwest created the troubled company. ...more

Mobilexpo 2001

The mobile phone industry showed off gadgets galore at the Mobilexpo 2001 Show in Birmingham this week. Here are some of the new products that caught our eye. Despite the fact that 3G telephony has turned into a bit of a damp squib, there were plenty of GPRS phones on display. ...more

Sony's battery recall squeezes market - Bloomberg

Sony's global recall of eight million potentially dangerous laptop batteries is creating a shortage resulting in delayed shipment and rising prices, according to Bloomberg.com. Executives from three companies that make battery packs from Sony cells, Gentle Wayeer Electric, ETI Pack and Nexcell Battery said that customers are having to wait an extra two months for deliveries. ...more