NEWSWORTHY
World / Politics Oct 16, 2018
Fantasy painting of Trump with ex-Republican presidents mocked online
It could be any Republican president's fantasy: hanging out at a bar with fellow conservative American leaders of years, decades, and even centuries past. For U.S. President Donald Trump, that fictional "happy hour" exists, in the form of a painting hanging at the White House ...
Asia Pacific / Politics Oct 15, 2018
Unfriend: Thai junta leader Prayuth Chan-ocha receives social media pummelling
An onslaught of negative feedback flooded the official Facebook page of Thailand's premier Prayuth Chan-ocha a day after it was launched over the weekend, backfiring on the junta leader's attempts to get "suggestions" on the social media platform. As Thailand counts down to much-anticipated elections ...
Asia Pacific / Crime & Legal Oct 15, 2018
A popular Chinese livestreamer has been sentenced to five days in detention for "insulting" China's national anthem by waving her arms and mimicking a conductor as she sung the song during a broadcast to millions of her followers. The woman, Yang Kaili, was detained by ...
Digital | ON: TECH Oct 14, 2018
by Chiho Komoriya
Summer's over, it's time for more home activities — gaming, movies, music, even practicing sports in the yard. Here's a few gadgets to help you enjoy your "me-time."
Business Oct 14, 2018
Japanese tech CEO behind popular 'Monster Strike' in search of new hit
by Yuji Nakamura and Yuki Furukawa
Five years ago, Koki Kimura pulled off an unthinkable turnaround to save his company. Now, he's trying to do it again. The 42-year-old runs a tech company called Mixi Inc., a firm with one of the most tumultuous corporate histories in Japan. It operated the ...
National / Media | Japan Pulse Oct 13, 2018
Kizuna AI's NHK appearance sparks debate on social media
by Patrick ST. Michel
Do virtual YouTubers dream of online controversy? Maybe not but they sure are good at courting it. One of the most buzzed about developments in online culture in Japan over the past 12 months has been a boom in virtual YouTubers, animated characters operating their ...
World / Politics Oct 13, 2018
'I'm going to stomp all over your face,' Pennsylvania Republican threatens election rival in video
The Republican candidate for governor of Pennsylvania threatened to stomp on the face of his Democratic opponent in a social media video on Friday and then walked back his comments, saying he made a mistake in his choice of words. Republican Scott Wagner is trailing ...
Business / Tech Oct 13, 2018
Facebook says 'view as' data breach affected 29 million users; Japan launches probe
Cyberattackers stole data from 29 million Facebook accounts using an automated program that moved from one friend to the next, Facebook announced on Friday, as the social media company said its largest-ever data theft hit fewer than the 50 million profiles it initially reported. The ...
Business Oct 9, 2018
Google to shut down its failed social network following disclosure of personal data leak
Google is shutting down its long-shunned Plus social network for consumers following its disclosure of a flaw discovered in March that could have exposed some personal information of up to 500,000 people. The announcement came in a Monday blog post, which marked Google's first public ...
World / Crime & Legal Oct 9, 2018
Trump official sought Israeli help to disrupt rival campaigns via social media manipulation: NYT
A top official in Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign requested proposals from an Israeli company to help defeat Republican primary opponents and Trump's challenger, Hillary Clinton, with online manipulation, The New York Times reported Monday. The Times said there was no evidence that the Trump ...
World Oct 9, 2018
'Nope, definitely not aliens': SpaceX satellite launch lights up California night sky, social media
When SpaceX launched a rocket carrying an Argentine Earth-observation satellite from California's Central Coast, both the night sky and social media lit up. People as far away as San Francisco, Sacramento, Phoenix and Reno, Nevada, posted photos of the Falcon 9 rocket's launch and return ...