SOPA-What?

Over the last couple of weeks the Internets have been on fire, outraged against the prospect of two pieces of legislation being passed in the United States Congress: SOPA and PIPA. The Stop Online Piracy Act and the Protect Intellectual Property Act are two bills that are supposed to protect the rights of content creators against copyright infringement.  

The problem is that the content creators who are most behind the two bills are the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) and the RIAA (The Recording Industry Association of America) and their backing (read: lobbying - $$) has lead to two distinctly bad pieces of legislation that, if implemented, will have serious consequences not to pirates - those who are actually ripping off movies and music on the internet - but on the whole structure of the internet.

Huge numbers of academics, legal minds, and Internet entrepreneurs have come out and voiced their concerns that not only is the structure of the Internet at risk (explained below) but that there are also serious economic and foreign policy (for the US) implications that would arise if these two pieces of legislation were passed.

Why are People Upset?

There are several issues that have been annunciated concerning SOPA and PIPA. The first, and arguably most serious is that the terms in the bills are so broadly defined that they create uncertainty for nearly every site online. Previously, infringing sites that are based off shore have been blocked in the US and thats the end of it. However under PIPA and SOPA go well beyond those sanctions by not only blocking "foreign rogue sites" but by putting the onus of compliance on third party service providers.

This has the potential to stifle innovation and new start-ups because of crippling legal costs - startups will need an entire legal team sitting in the back room ready to jump to action. 

Why?

The definitions are ridiculously broad. Under SOPA you can be found "dedicated to the theft of US property" if the core functionality of your site "enables or facilitates" infringement. The core functionality of nearly every internet website that involves user generated content enables and facilitates infringement. The entire Internet itself enables or facilitates infringement. The only way around this for your user generated content site involves constant monitoring. Proactive, expensive monitoring.

Supporters of the bills say not to worry and that the language contained therein is perfectly stringent and not at all broad. HOWEVER Some big players in the content world - Universal Music, Paramount and Warner Bros. started to compile a list of websites that were supposedly infringing on their intellectual property. And of course the list contained a number of legitimate sites; The Internet Archive, SoundCloud, Vimeo - sites that help creators get their work out. Of course in a move that shows the absurdity of the whole thing - Universal music put the website of one of it's own artists on the list of infringers - the artist? Massively popular 50 Cent.

Another ridiculous example of how broad the language goes, cable manufacturer Monster Cable has listed eBay, Craigslist Costco and Sears as having infringing websites. Each of these sites carries images of Monster Cables, specs and descriptions created by Monster Cable etc.

Why?

Because all of these sites SELL MONSTER CABLES!

And if you think that the United States is already litigious enough, provisions of SOPA and PIPA will expand secondary liability. The concept of "Safe harbour" - which allows sites like Google to provide the services they do is now (again) equated with infringement and will keep liability lawyers in money for years to come.

These are the legal issues surrounding the two bills.

The technical issues are much more problematic given that they have the potential to literally break the internet. The key sanction listed in both bills is DNS blocking. (look it up if you're not entirely clear on how DNS blocking works, save to say it's what they do in China, and by extension, relatively easily circumvented.) Mucking about with DNS also opens the kinds of security holes in the internet that people have spent thousand of hours over the last decade trying to plug. PLUS under PIPA and SOPA the final word in infringement cases will be in the hands of the judiciary - and judges in the United States and elsewhere are not noted for being the most technically minded individuals (much like politicians) who are up to the play with the latest technology.

The final word on DNS - Blocking content is the same as censorship (again see: China)

The upside is that the likes of the MPAA ad the RIAA are the same groups that complained about Digital Video Recorders like TiVo, screamed blue bloody murder about the iPod, and who crapped themselves in the 80s about audio cassettes and video tapes. The Internet is hopefully but one in a long line of technologies that will be a thorn in the side of "Big Content" until such time as they can successfully monetize it or like in the case of the iPod have someone convince them that it'll all be OK. (Possibly the most important legacy of the late Mr Steven P. Jobs).

New Year's Resolutions

OK so the first 2 weeks of the year have already gone - so you might think I am a bit late. On the other hand I like to test the water a little before jumping in, dangle a toe or a foot into the pool you might say before making a commitment.

There's not much to these resolutions. The simpler the more likely achieved I should think. So here they are:

Keep practicing photography. It's good to have a hobby - especially one that has nothing to do with either work or doing something Korea-centric. Keeps the mind fresh is at least a little artistic (not just simply a visual record of what I have done) and I have lots of resources on hand living with a professional photographer. Also more nude model shoots. Chance of success: 99%

Start my Ed.D, second semester, at University of Southern Queensland. If there was one thing I learnt during 2011, its that MAs in my field are a dime a dozen and now everyone is doing them. Plus I really think I have something to contribute to the field. Plus education is awesome. Plus I want people to have to call me "doctor". One day anyway. Chance of success: 65-75%

In something of  sub-resolution I want to be a better teacher. This year (the first semester anyway) is going to see a lot of work and moving between two campuses. Not studying and since my very public resignation from KOTESOL late last year I feel I have been ignoring important readings and keeping up on developments. I missed Oxford and Cambridge days thanks to my general laziness, compared to colleagues who found some really interesting stuff to incorporate into our programs. Need to pull up my intellectual socks. Chance of success: 80% looking good

Give up smoking. Chance of success: <20%

Exercise more. Already on top of this one, but if it holds any success I refuse to be one of those reformed fat people encouraging people to exercise and eat healthy. I hate reformed fat people. They are worse than reformed smokers, because despite their new found energy, good looks and change in lifestyle, they insist on telling you all about their journey from muffin munching monster to celibate celery consumer and spout all sorts of positive crap about "you being able to do it too" all over Facebook. At least ex-smokers just look at you with disgust and then dismiss you. Chance of success: 70% and rising

Celebrate being in Korea for a Ninth year (or at least make a firm decision on whether there is going to be a 10th?!) I am one of very few people I know who have been here this long without getting hitched and having babies. Nothing wrong with getting hitched and having babies - maybe this will be the year for it, but if Korea keeps playing the same games with how it treats Native English Speaker Teachers with their visas and lack of pay etc. it may well be prudent to move on. It may well be adventurous as well. I need a bit of adventure. Chance of success: pending

And there you have it - just five, and hopefully achievable. By all accounts it will be the year of the BLACK Dragon come the Chinese New Year late January. This is apparently a very good portent for action across the board - so I'm looking forward to an action 2012!

Audio-goodness

The SeoulPodcast - in a fit of pique and promise to start as it means to continue, is out this week with another show.

Joe and I disect the death of Lil' Kim, Twin Tower reactions and floors 4 and 14, amongst other things.

You can get the podcast from the usual place, or go the direct link way here. [mp3 1:18:25]

Go, Go Gadget Shopper

Words by Stafford Lumsden, shots by Judith Clancy and Matthew Crompton ^*

Korea (and Seoul in particular) is a Mecca for shoppers looking for deals on electronics. From home appliances to cameras and computers to MP3 players, Seoul is bursting with options on places to shop, and for the brave, places to find a bargain.

Yongsan Electronics Market

The term “market” is something of a misnomer when it comes to Yongsan. With three mall-sized complexes and shops and stalls stretching over three city blocks, Yongsan is more than a mere market. iPark Mall, part of the actual Yongsan Station complex, is probably familiar to anyone who has caught a train to or from Seoul and encompasses five floors. The 3rd floor sells MP3 players, cameras and other handheld goods. Subsequent floors contain notebook computers, household appliances, TVs, DVD players and other video equipment, desktop computers made to order, video games and finally an entire floor dedicated solely to mobile phones. Would-be shoppers should be wary however; prices are often nonnegotiable and better deals can be found elsewhere in Yongsan.

A bridge connects the station to the Terminal Electronics Mall. Here you will find mostly computers and computer-related products. As a whole, vendors in the Terminal area of Yongsan have garnered a reputation for ripping off customers. Again shoppers should be wary, but at least vendors here will allow customers more hands-on time with their wares.

Next up are two sections that specialize in a narrower range of products. Immediately in front of the Terminal Mall is Najin Electro World, your first stop if you are looking for either phones or video games. To the right of Najin Electro World is Seonin Mall, which is where you will head if you are looking for any specialist computer parts or planning to build your own machine.

Located on the other side of Najin, ET Land (Jeonja Land) is probably the place you’ll go if you don’t have anything specific in mind. ET Land arguably offers the greatest range of goods, and up until very recently was the only place in all of Korea you could get after-sales support for anything Mac/Apple related.

• Hours: most vendors throughout Yongsan open around 10 am and close at 7 or 8 pm Monday – Saturday, while Sundays see at least half closed, with the exception of iPark.
• Getting there: Yongsan Station (line 1, Jungang line) and Sinyongsan Station (line 4).

Technomart

Technomart has two enormous outlets in Seoul serving the east and west sides of the city and both are fairly similar in their layout and offerings. The nearly 2000 stores at both Gangbyeon (east) and Sindorim (west) sell a wide variety of goods as you would expect, but these are complimented at Gangbyeon by a CGV cinema, an E-mart, and numerous restaurants. Its proximity to public transit also gives it an edge over its western counterpart, being situated next to the Dong-Seoul bus terminal and across the road from Gangbyeon Subway Station.

Technomart Sindorim, on the other hand, holds more events than Gangbyeon with kid-friendly activities like the Trick Art exhibition. It is also a popular choice for video game events, with video game league gatherings, Pokemon launchings, and appearances by video game producer Hideo Kojima, to name some past events.

• Hours: both Technomarts are open 10 am – 8 pm Monday through Friday and until 10 pm weekends and holidays.
• Getting there: Sindorim Station (line 2, ex. 2); Gangbyeon Station (line 2, ex. 1 and 2)

Electronics Retail Chains

Haven’t found your bargain at the markets above? Turn to one of the retail chains selling electronics in Korea.

HiMart: HiMart is the only independent chain of any size, and so shoppers can find products from a number of manufacturers in the same place, allowing you to compare Samsung versus LG and Philips versus Sony. While prices at HiMart are fixed, they are seldom worse than Technomart and there will always be a salesperson on hand to help you, though don’t expect their English skills to be anywhere near those at Technomart or Yongsan. Expect the salesperson to hover over you as you browse. • Hours: 10 am – 8 pm

Samsung Digital Plaza: The nation’s flagship brand also has retail locations throughout Korea. The advantage of shopping with Samsung is its extensive after-sales service, with most Digital Plaza stores having a separate “A/S Center” attached to them where you can bring in any Samsung product for repair regardless of where you bought it. These stores are less specialized but will carry at least one of everything Samsung makes. Samsung Digital Plaza puts an emphasis on TVs and home appliances but also stocks cameras, MP3 players and notebook and desktop computers. Unfortunately they may be out of stock of some items, and display merchandise is rarely up for sale. While they won’t order in that MP3 player you’ve had your eye on, with a little cajoling salespeople may ring around and find the closest Digital Plaza that has the item in stock. • Hours: usually 9 am – 6 pm

LG BestShop: LG, like Samsung, has its own branded outlets stocking only its products. While Samsung emphasizes TVs, LG concentrates on its expertise in refrigerators and other whiteware. If you are looking for a washing machine with all the after-sales service you need, including delivery, installation and maintenance and repair, LG is definitely the place to start. • Hours: 9 am – 6 pm

Electronics Markets Across Korea
They may not be able to rival Yongsan in size, but they do offer a more convenient option for expats living in one of Korea’s other large cities.

• Electron Zone Daegu A variety of products and lots of vendors. 1621 Sangyeok 2-dong, Buk-gu ezone.or.kr

• Gaya Computer Wholesale Store Busan Everything computers, 156-2 Gaegeum 1-dong, Busanjin-gu gayatown.co.kr

• Kumho World Gwangju Not just electronics, but also musical instruments, 12-17 Hwajeong-dong, Seo-gu, ikumhoworld.co.kr

• Techno World Daejeon Computers and peripherals, 301 Mannyeon-dong, Seo-gu, techno-world.kr

[This article originally appeared in the November issue of 10 Magazine]

Kindle-icious

Words by Stafford Lumsden

From left: Kindle, Kindle Touch, Kindle Fire

With the cooling weather and Christmas vacation on the horizon, you have a good excuse to curl up somewhere warm with a good book. Except the notion of “a book” is rapidly changing.

With the latest iterations of its Kindle, Amazon is taking the whole paradigm of buying and reading books in a whole new direction. This month three new Kindles were added to the line up bringing the number of models to six in all, ranging from just $109 to $199 for the top-end Android powered tablet-like version.

Moreover Amazon is subsidising the cost of some Kindles with advertisements, making the low end version just $79! For that you get a 6-inch screen to read from, “Advanced E-Ink” display (which is easier on the eye than LCD displays) and built in wi-fi, allowing access to the 800,000 titles Amazon has on sale in its Kindle e-book store.

The so-called Kindle Keyboard, besides having a keyboard boasts a two month battery life, the ability to play back audiobooks and mp3s, capacity for over 3000 books and access to thousands of out of print and public domain books as well. Combine the advertisements option (unobtrusive ads that only appear on the screen saver) and the price goes from $139 to Just $99.

A veritable stocking stuffer!

But arguably the greatest development with the latest round of Kindle releases is that “Whispernet” – Amazon’s 3G mobile offering – now works around the world, including Korea! Now readers won’t have to be connected to The Internet via wi-fi to purchase and download content. With ads the 3G Kindle is $139, down from $189.

While all of these are available to Korea-based Amazon customers, Amazon warns that customers may be liable for taxes and duties upon shipping one into the country. (Christmas is also a good time to make friends with people who have APO mailing addresses!)

One Kindle you won’t be able to get in Korea in time for Christmas is Amazon’s “Kindle Fire” – a tablet based on the Android Operating System that eschews the conventions of the normally phone-bound operating system in favour of a bookshelf style interface, most befitting for a product from Amazon. Android devotees won’t be disappointed though, as along with copies of Steve Jobs’ Biography and the latest edition of The New York Times, access to Angry Birds and all your other favourite Android apps is still just a click away.

For $199 you get all of this, super fast Internet browsing through the Amazon Silk service and cloud storage for all your Amazon content including Amazon e-books, videos and mp3s.

The various Kindles are available from amazon.com/kindle.

[This article originally appeared in the December issue of 10 Magazine.]

What is Sundew?

According to developer SK Planet, Sundew is a dynamic social Q&A service that is based on your trusted friend network, and it's a recent addition to my iPhone.

Sundew allows users to post questions either publicly or to their friends and contacts on either their phone / Facebook or in Sundew and hope to get an answer. It functions much like if Twitter were an episode of Jeopardy, in that posts should be in the form of a question.

People on the public timeline (or your friends) read your question and then post a helpful answer thus getting you out of your quandary, or helping you to solve #4 down in the crossword or finding somewhere nice to eat in Gwanhwamun.

Things can in fact get pretty granular. People posing questions can give their question a category tag such as film, music, art, sports - the list goes on. This helps users navigate Sundew a little easier. Likewise Users can purport to be interested in certain categories as well and can list the categories they are interested in .

When browsing users can also see all the answers a question has received (and of course add their own answers). If you like a particular answer (or question) you can click the Thumbs Up icon which Sundew has cleverly named the "A Ha!" button. A Ha! being the reaction when you get that answer you've been looking for. Pretty clever indeed!

But A Ha!'s aren't just gratification in the way a Facebook "Like" button is. Users' A Ha!'s are tabulated against the category of the question. The more A Ha!'s you get the more points you get in that category. Receive enough points and you win a badge (like Foursquare) - Rookie through Guru depending on how people like your answers. 

And then there is the game element as well. A Sundew is a carnivorous plant  - like a Venus FlyTrap I guess. Users start off with a Sundew seed and get to grow the seed into a progressively larger and cuter Sundew character depending on how many points they have.

Sundew offers integration with both Twitter and Facebook, and has a reasonably active Facebook group at the moment. Users can customise their settings to see Questions from people "nearby"(requiring Location services to be activated) or "worldwide. The large majority of questions are from Korean speakers - which might be a good way to practise your Korean - but there is a fair number of English language users as well posting questions in English. (So far none in any other language.)

It wouldn't be fair to call out Sundew on the number of server issues it has had in the last couple of weeks since I started using it - it is in a semi-closed beta at the moment (version 1.1 at time of writing), and usually a little bit of patience is all is required. However posting multiple questions all in a row seems to bring the server to it's knees on occasion - something the folks at SK Planet are working on.

Its handling of contacts and invites is a little troublesome though. Beta testers (Of which I am one) were asked to invite their friends. Unfortunately I managed to spam everyone in my address book (Oooops!) and invites aren't really clear what they're for and so are unfortunately pretty much ignored - especially by those people who are savvy enough.

Likewise I have had to be careful with double posting - The default is to both Tweet and Post to Facebook whenever you ask a question. If you have Twitter set up to forward to Facebook and Google+ and for Facebook to forward on to Google+ you end up with one Tweet but several posts on Facebook and Google+. There doesn't seem to be a way (in this version of the app) to choose nothing as the default and then decide whether you want your question Tweeted, Facebooked or both.



Elsewhere your questions and answers are kept under a My Q & A section, but just ends up as an ever growing list where questions seem to get bumped to the top when ever there is some action to do with it (reply, A Ha! etc) - sorting by category might be a good option here. Another good option would be an English version. From v1.1 the interface for the most part and especially notifications have all been in Korean which is a bit maddening for those of us who have limited Korean Skills (although I now know "A Ha!" in Korean is 아하!) Also a counter number on the App for unchecked questions and replies (like the red dot on email and messages etc) would be much preferable to page after page of notifications in the iPhone's Notification area.  

These are all cosmetic concerns of course and could easily be fixed and / or implemented in future updates. What Sundew is lacking at the moment is really a purpose.

The level of discourse and questioning (while fun and clean!) is limited to things like "What should I do today?" and "Butter or Margarine?" and "Coke or Pepsi?". In terms of a game it's quite fun, answer questions, grow your Sundew Character, earn badges. But Sundew has a lot more potential that isn't being met here. Questions and answers should be able to be searched. So If I'm looking for a restaurant I should be able to search for questions and answers like "Best restaurant in Gangnam". Better still using location services I would love to be able to browse questions and answers for this area. Being able to share these questions more easily on Facebook and through Twitter (and maybe being able to plot questions and answers on a Google map) would make Sundew much more useful than it is fun at the moment.

Bimbo rating ★★★✩ 3 1/2 

Sundew is free from The iTunes App Store and Android Market.

I Had a Case of "Il'in"

For those who obviously can't use Google - here is a good place to start for all the stuff I have written on Kim Jong Il"