Nov
16
2009
Obama To China: Forget Twitter, Free The Net
- President Obama replies to a question about the internet in China, “I have never used Twitter,” the president said. “My thumbs are too clumsy to type in things on the phone. But I am a big believer in technology and I’m a big believer in openness when it comes to the flow of information. I think that the more freely information flows, the stronger the society becomes, because then citizens of countries around the world can hold their own governments accountable. They can begin to think for themselves. That generates new ideas. It encourages creativity.”
- US retail sales rose by more than expected in October, largely due to a resurgent car market, Commerce Department figures have shown. Retailer are worried if people will shop on the biggest shopping day of the year; Black Friday.
- Morale among American troops stationed in Afghanistan is falling, according to a study by the Army. The study also found that at least half of the soldiers in Afghanistan have had difficulty getting care for their mental health issues.
- Check out this graphic of government spending by country, as a percentage of GDP.
- As drug makers promise to support Washington’s health care overhaul by shaving $8 billion a year off the nation’s drug costs after the legislation takes effect, the industry has been raising its prices at the fastest rate in years.
- The NY Times is discussing a patent application by Apple (20090265214) for putting really intrusive advertising into products that would require users to respond to prove that they’re paying attention to the advertising.
- Google is set to become your new phone company, perhaps reducing your phone bill to zilch in the process, after buying Gizmo5, an online phone company that is akin to Skype but based on open protocols and with a lot fewer users. TechCrunch, which broke the news on Monday, reported that Google spent $30 million on the company.
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