Tech Podcast: Iran is All A-Twitter, China's Green Dam Reprieve, And It's a Nice Day for a Skype Wedding

July 06, 2009

The World's Technology Podcast (WTP 249) starts off with updates on two stories we've been following closely in recent weeks, Iran and China. First, an update on the use of social media tools in the wake of post-election violence in Iran. Twitter might be enabling the flow on information into and out of the country, but can you trust what you're reading? Cyrus Farivar explores that question. Also, the Chinese delay a plan to require every PC sold in China to come loaded with a piece of Internet-filtering software called Green Dam, Youth Escort. Human rights groups have criticized the software, and so too have security experts who say it's so full of holes that hackers could turn China into one huge zombie computer network. 

Also, you know that we love stories about, well, love. You also know that we love stories about technology. So imagine our delight when we found a tale of technology enabling a love story. It happened when a couple (one in the United States and one in China) found themselves thwarted by US visa regulations. Unable to be together on their wedding day, they did the next best thing. They set up a video link via Skype and exchanged their vows over the Internet!

Lovely.