From the day it was released, people have recognized that the Kindle is crippled by compromises. Since then: We’ve learned that the Kindle is a failure as a new media platform; Amazon is turning off Kindle features to keep publishers happy; and that “Buying” a book for the Kindle is like Russian roulette. A lot […]

The Committee to Protect Bloggers is reporting that blogger Omid Reza Mir Sayafi has died in prison in Iran. Omid was sentenced in December to three years in jail.  Omid was accused of “insulting Iranian religious leaders and spreading propaganda” against the Iranian state. Human Rights Activists in Iran (translated from Arabic by Hamid Tehrani […]

YouTube today announced a variety of changes at the site that are designed to help you view content that’s relevant to you and avoid content that isn’t. While YouTube’s focus is on making it harder for uploaders to trick people, the changes they’ve made affect everyone.  Here’s a rundown of the changes, from YouTube’s announcement: Stricter […]

Elisabeth posted a note earlier today about new media and podcasting in China, and how local coverage paints a picture that may be surprising to many in the West. Chris raised a question in the comments, though, that is worth addressing: “I thought I read that RSS was banned in China. Does anyone know if […]

As mainstream media promotes itself to new heights (depths?) over the upcoming summer Olympic Games in Beijing, and with the International Olympic Committee raising hackles with its severe restrictions on blogging, podcasting and new media, it seemed like a good time to look at citizen media efforts coming from China itself. This week’s edition of […]

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has issued guidelines (pdf) regarding blogging and other user generated media at the 2008 Beijing Olympiad. And while the Olympics may be a celebration of athleticism and global togetherness, they aren’t going to be a celebration of personal expression. The IOC’s guidelines address rules for blogging and other user-generated media […]